The Twins beat the Astros 5-4 on Monday despite losing Anthony Banda to injury and playing without Byron Buxton in the lineup.
The Minnesota Twins walked into Daikin Park on Monday night already short-handed and lost another piece before the first pitch when left-hander Anthony Banda was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain expected to keep him out for months.
Byron Buxton, the team's most valuable player this season, sat out with a right hip impingement after an MRI earlier in the day, though the club listed him as day-to-day.
Even without those two, Minnesota found a way to beat the Astros 5-4 behind a strong seven-inning start from Zebby Matthews, who allowed just one earned run while striking out seven.
Shelton Talks Team Toughness
After the win, manager Derek Shelton did not hold back when talking about the group he has been leading through a season full of setbacks.
"Yeah, I mean this group's resilient," Shelton said. "We're going to have to do it now with Anthony being down, but this is a resilient group. I mean, anything that kind of gets thrown at them, they continue to go."
Shelton also gave credit to Houston starter Peter Lambert while pointing to how his own team responded.
"I was really proud because Lambert threw the ball really well today," Shelton said. "We had a couple runs, and then they kind of answered back, but our guys just keep going."
Staying in the Fight
The Twins now sit at 41-45 on the season, and what makes their spot interesting is that they are still only two games back of the Seattle Mariners for the third American League Wild Card spot and 4.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
This is a team that has dealt with the worst bullpen ERA in baseball and has played through a long list of injuries to key players, from Buxton's recurring hip and shoulder problems to catcher Ryan Jeffers landing on the injured list.
Buxton has still been one of the best players in the league this season, hitting .268 with 25 home runs and joining franchise legends along the way despite dealing with nagging health issues that have followed him throughout his career.
Why a Wild Card Run Is Not Out of Reach
With the August 3 trade deadline getting closer, the Twins have a real choice to make about whether to buy or sell, and team chairman Tom Pohlad has already talked about how important a strong 2026 season is for the franchise.
The bullpen is the biggest area that needs fixing, but if Minnesota can bring in some help and Buxton stays healthy enough to keep producing, this team has the offensive pieces with Josh Bell, Royce Lewis, and Brooks Lee to go on a run.
The Wild Card race is bunched up heading into July, with Houston at 42-45 and Seattle at 43-43 all sitting within reach, meaning Minnesota does not need to be great to get back into the picture.
They just need to keep doing what Shelton talked about on Monday, and that is finding a way to keep going no matter what gets thrown their way.
