BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (Interstat) — Joe Ryan struck out nine over six innings and Ryan Kreidler hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.

The Twins evened the three-game series at one win apiece after dropping Tuesday’s opener 2-1. Minnesota improved to 23-27, while Houston fell to 21-31.

Ryan (3-3) allowed four hits and one earned run, walked none and fanned nine. He retired the final seven batters he faced after a shaky start and exited with a three-run lead.

Andrew Morris earned his first save of the season with a perfect ninth inning, striking out one.

Houston starter Mike Burrows (2-6) took the loss after allowing six hits and four earned runs over six innings. He struck out two and walked two.

The Astros struck first in the top of the second inning. Zach Dezenzo singled, Cam Smith singled and Christian Vázquez lined a single to center field, scoring Dezenzo to give Houston a 1-0 lead.

Minnesota answered in the bottom half. With one out, Victor Caratini launched a solo home run to center field, his second of the season, tying the game 1-1.

The contest remained tied until the bottom of the fourth. Caratini led off with a single, and Tristan Gray walked. Kreidler then drove a 1-0 pitch from Burrows over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer, his third of the year, giving the Twins a 4-1 advantage.

Minnesota threatened for more later in the inning when James Outman doubled, but Burrows escaped further damage by retiring Byron Buxton on a lineout.

From there, Ryan took command. He set down the Astros in order in the fifth and sixth innings, striking out three of the final six batters he faced.

Yoendrys Gómez followed Ryan with two perfect innings of relief, striking out five. Morris worked a 1-2-3 ninth, fanning one.

Houston managed only five hits in the game. Jeremy Peña singled in the first inning, Dezenzo and Smith each singled in the second, and Vázquez had the run-scoring hit. Smith singled again in the eighth for the Astros’ last baserunner.

Minnesota collected six hits. Caratini went 2-for-4 with his homer and an RBI. Outman doubled, and Kody Clemens singled.

The Astros had won Tuesday’s series opener behind a strong pitching performance, splitting the first two games of the set. Houston entered the series after dropping three of four at home to Texas and losing two of three to Seattle the previous week.

Minnesota came into the game having lost two of its previous three series, including a split with Milwaukee and a series loss to Miami.

The Twins will travel to Boston for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday. Houston heads to Chicago to face the Cubs in a three-game set starting Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Minnesota Twins 5, Houston Astros 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Minnesota with a 50.60 percent probability to win. Minnesota had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 5 went over the over-under line of 8.