Verlander chills Twins; Astros win 3rd straight

Verlander gets out of jam in 6th MINNEAPOLIS -- Justin Verlander kept the Minnesota Twins off balance Monday night over seven shutout innings, leading the Astros to a 2-0 win at Target Field. Minnesota entered the game with a .230 collective batting average against Verlander, and the right-hander used a lively fastball to keep the Twins from finding a rhythm.

Verlander finished with nine strikeouts and allowed just four hits and a walk. He generated 13 swinging strikes, including eight with his fastball. With the win, Verlander improved to 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA. He was backed by an RBI single from J.D. Davis in the sixth and an RBI double from Marwin Gonzalez in the eighth. Verlander's gem…