Fiers strikes out 11 as Astros beat Twins 5-3
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
HOUSTON (AP) _ Mike Fiers struck out a season-high 11 over seven strong innings and Nori Aoki had two hits and two RBIs to help the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Sunday.
The AL West leaders took two of three from the Twins coming out of the All-Star break.
Houston trailed in the fourth before Yuli Gurriel doubled, Marwin Gonzalez walked and Aoki hit a two-run double for a 3-2 lead.
The Astros added a couple of insurance runs in the seventh thanks to alert baserunning. Jake Marisnick walked, stole second base and scored on an error by first baseman Kennys Vargas. Jose Altuve doubled, stole third and dashed home when Josh Reddick was thrown out at first on a third strike that got away.
Fiers (6-4) allowed two runs on four hits and no walks. He had walked eight combined in his last two starts.
Ken Giles gave up a run in the ninth for his 20th save.
Vargas and Ehire Adrianza hit solo homers for Minnesota. Kyle Gibson (5-8) yielded four runs in six-plus innings.
Choo loses fly in sun with 2 out in 9th, KC shades Texas 4-3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Texas right fielder Shin-Soo Choo lost Lorenzo Cain’s routine fly in the sun, and the ball glanced off his glove for an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning that lifted the Kansas City Royals over the Texas Rangers 4-3 Sunday.
Choo tried to shield his eyes, but even sunglasses didn’t help on Cain’s sliced flyball. The Royals snapped a five-game losing streak, and also ended a 12-game skid against the Rangers.
Kelvin Herrera (2-2) pitched a spotless ninth. Jason Grilli (2-5), acquired by Rangers from Toronto on July 2, took the loss.
Alcides Escobar led off the ninth with a single and Alex Gordon walked on four pitches. With one out, Grilli hit Whit Merrifield with a pitch to load the
bases. After Jorge Bonifacio struck out, Cain delivered the game-winning hit, with some luck.