HOUSTON (AP) \u2014 Royce Lewis and Victor Caratini hit back-to-back homers, Zebby Matthews pitched seven stingy innings and the Minnesota Twins held off a late rally by the Houston Astros for a 5-4 victory Monday night.<\/p>\n
Josh Bell launched a two-run shot for the Twins, who led 5-1 before Travis Adams gave up a two-run homer to Taylor Trammell with two outs in the ninth.<\/p>\n
Yoendrys G\u00f3mez entered and immediately served up Cam Smith\u2019s second home run of the game before retiring Joey Loperfido on a grounder for his ninth save.<\/p>\n
Houston had won five of six.<\/p>\n
Matthews (4-5) limited the Astros to one run and four hits while striking out seven and walking one.<\/p>\n
Peter Lambert (6-5) held Minnesota hitless until Lewis and Caratini went deep in the fourth. Bell\u2019s drive made it 4-1 in the sixth, and Kody Clemens added an RBI groundout in the seventh.<\/p>\n
Lambert allowed four runs and five hits in 5 2\/3 innings. He had won four straight decisions.<\/p>\n
Smith pulled a hanging slider onto the train tracks above left field for a solo homer in the fifth.<\/p>\n
Astros reliever Miguel Ullola made his major league debut, striking out four in two scoreless innings.<\/p>\n
Houston returned home from a 5-2 trip and entered Monday an AL-best 15-10 in June.<\/p>\n
Astros shortstop Jeremy Pe\u00f1a sat out with left leg discomfort.<\/p>\n
Minnesota placed left-handed reliever Anthony Banda on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain. The Twins recalled right-hander Cody Laweryson from Triple-A St. Paul.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Twins RHP Joe Ryan (5-4, 3.18 ERA) faces Astros RHP Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.48) in the middle game of the series Tuesday night. <\/p>\n
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