What happened: The Minnesota Twins hit three home runs to beat the Houston Astros 8-3 on the road. The victory gives Minnesota the edge in the three-game set, moving the Twins in front 2-1 after the series had been tied a game apiece.
Why it matters: The win extends Minnesota's winning streak to two and pushes the club back toward .500 in a tightly packed stretch of the schedule. For Houston, the loss drops the Astros further under .500 and continues an inconsistent run at home.
By the numbers: Final: Minnesota Twins 8, Houston Astros 3. Series now 2-1 in Minnesota's favor. Twins entered 41-45 on the season (averaging 4.8 runs per game); Astros sit 42-45 (4.5 runs per game). Recent head-to-head has been close: Houston won 6-4 on June 30 and Minnesota won 5-4 on June 29.
What to watch: The series concludes next, with Minnesota looking to close it out and Houston aiming to salvage a split at home.