Odorizzi derailed by Astros' early home runs

HOUSTON -- It was the kind of start that has become standard for Jake Odorizzi this year, as he had some success early, only to run into a wall in the middle innings.
Odorizzi went 4 2/3 innings, surrendering five runs on four hits and four walks in a 9-1 loss to the Astros on Wednesday night as the Twins were swept in the three-game series at Minute Maid Park. Odorizzi, who fell to 5-10 with a 4.57 ERA, has made 29 starts, but he has only recorded an out after the sixth once this year.
"It's a fine line," manager Paul Molitor said. "A couple of zeros early. You try to keep it close and compete with your starting pitcher and we just didn't hold them down very well early in these games. and we certainly didn't hit well enough to get back into them."
Odorizzi didn't give up a run until the third on a two-run shot from a red-hot Alex Bregman. It was more of the same in the fourth, serving up a two-run blast to Evan Gattis.
It unraveled in the fifth, when Odorizzi walked Jose Altuve and Bregman with one out. Odorizzi got Tyler White to line out to right, but he gave up an RBI single to Yuli Gurriel that knocked him from the game. It was the eighth time this year that Odorizzi couldn't get through five innings.
"I just needed to execute a little bit better," Odorizzi said. "I felt like I hit some corners today, but when I needed to, I didn't. It's frustrating. It's kind of the story of my year."

Minnesota's offense stayed cold, scoring just once against rookie lefty Framber Valdez in 5 1/3 innings. Willians Astudillo was responsible for the lone run with a solo shot in the fifth, his second career home run.
"We didn't take advantage early," Molitor said. "There was some wildness issues from him. We got into some counts and then we'd try to do too much and roll it over. With his movement, if you try to pull it, it ends being ground balls and we had that issue in a couple of key spots."
The Astros made it a blowout, tacking on a run on a double from Altuve in the sixth, which snapped his 0-for-19 skid, before Bregman ripped a three-run double off Matt Belisle in the eighth. Bregman went 6-for-10 with eight RBIs in the three-game set.
"We had trouble containing," Molitor said. "Some of their players are incredibly hot right now. Bregman is about as hot as anyone I've seen in terms of consistently taking good at-bats. He was driving the ball. The two two-run homers were the downfall."
SOUND SMART
Bregman became the latest player the Twins utilized a four-man outfield against, as they employed it against him with two out in the first, but he walked. Other players who Minnesota has used the dramatic shift against include Joey Gallo, José Ramírez, Matt Olson, Lucas Duda, Khris Davis, Justin Smoak, Curtis Granderson, Eric Thames and Kyle Seager. The Twins are responsible for 71 percent of the four-man outfield setups in MLB this year.

HE SAID IT
"It's not like this has been the best year of my career or anything by any stretch of the imagination. It's actually the worst baseball season I've ever put together. So it's frustrating, and hopefully next year is a better season." -- Odorizzi
UP NEXT
After an off-day on Thursday, the Twins will use an "opener" for the third time this season in the series opener against the Royals at 7:10 p.m. CT on Friday at Target Field. Rookie lefty Stephen Gonsalves (0-2, 9.90 ERA) will serve as the primary pitcher for the first time after three starts. Miguel Sanó (lower left leg bruise) and Eddie Rosario (strained right quad) could return to Minnesota's lineup. Right-hander Heath Fillmyer (2-1, 4.01 ERA) will start for Kansas City.