HOUSTON (Interstat) — Yordan Alvarez launched a grand slam in the fourth inning Tuesday night, lifting the Houston Astros to a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Daikin Park before an announced crowd of 26,848.

The Astros, who trailed 4-0 after the first inning, erupted for six runs in the fourth to snatch the lead and never looked back. Minnesota had taken control early, scoring three runs in the opening frame on a hit-by-pitch, a two-run single and a fielding error, but Houston’s bullpen held the Twins scoreless over the final four innings while the offense capitalized on a sudden burst of timely hitting.

The game lasted 2 hours, 32 minutes.

Houston improved to 43-45, while Minnesota fell to 41-46.

The Twins struck immediately against Astros starter Mike Burrows. Trevor Larnach drew a leadoff walk, and after Brooks Lee flied out, Kody Clemens singled to put runners at first and second. Josh Bell followed with a fly ball that advanced Larnach to third, and Royce Lewis walked to load the bases. Victor Caratini was then hit by a pitch, forcing in Larnach for the game’s first run. Ryan Kreidler delivered the big blow, a line-drive single to left field that scored Clemens and Lewis, with Caratini moving to third and Kreidler advancing to second on a fielding error by left fielder Yordan Alvarez. Tristan Gray ended the inning with a fly out, but Minnesota had seized a 4-0 lead.

Burrows settled down after the rocky first. He retired the side in order in the second, except for a Brooks Lee single that was erased when Lee was caught stealing. In the third, Burrows worked around a Royce Lewis single, and the fourth inning went 1-2-3. The right-hander finished with six innings of work, allowing four runs on six hits, walking three and striking out two. He earned the win, improving to 4-8.

Joe Ryan started for Minnesota and held the Astros scoreless through three innings. He allowed only a double to Raynel Delgado in the third but escaped when Jose Altuve grounded out, Delgado advanced to third, and Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes each failed to bring him home.

The bottom of the fourth changed everything. Christian Walker grounded out to open the inning, but Cam Smith singled to center. Taylor Trammell followed with a single to right, putting runners at first and third. Yainer Diaz then singled to left, scoring Smith and trimming the deficit to 4-1. Nick Allen struck out for the second out, but Delgado walked to load the bases. Altuve worked a walk on a challenged pitch that was overturned, forcing in Trammell and making it 4-2. That brought Alvarez to the plate.

Alvarez crushed a 1-0 pitch to right-center field for his 26th home run of the season, clearing the bases and giving Houston a 6-4 lead. The grand slam scored Diaz, Delgado and Altuve, and the Astros had completed a six-run inning on four hits and two walks.

Minnesota answered in the fifth. Clemens singled to left, and Bell doubled to center, scoring Clemens and cutting the lead to 6-5. But Burrows struck out Lewis to end the threat, and the Twins did not score again.

Houston’s bullpen took over from there. Enyel De Los Santos pitched a scoreless sixth, allowing no hits and striking out one. Steven Okert worked a perfect seventh, striking out two. Bryan King handled the eighth, striking out one and allowing no hits. Josh Hader closed the ninth for his eighth save of the season, striking out two in a clean inning.

Offensively, the Astros managed eight hits. Alvarez finished 2-for-4 with the grand slam and three runs scored. Diaz went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Smith, Trammell and Christian Walker each had one hit. Altuve, despite an 0-for-3 night, drove in a run on a walk. Nick Allen was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

The Twins totaled six hits. Clemens had two hits and scored twice. Bell doubled and drove in a run. Kreidler had two RBIs. Lee and Lewis each singled. Caratini, Gray, Austin Martin, Luke Keaschall and Alex Jackson were held hitless.

Ryan took the loss, falling to 5-5. He allowed six runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out four.

The game featured two overturned calls on challenges. In the fourth, Altuve’s walk was upheld after review. In the fifth, a pitch to Christian Walker was confirmed as a strikeout after Minnesota challenged.

Minnesota had won the series opener Monday, 5-4, but Houston evened the series with Tuesday’s victory. The teams conclude the two-game set Wednesday at Daikin Park before the Twins travel to New York and the Astros host Tampa Bay.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Houston 6, Minnesota 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave Houston a 58.80 percent probability to win. Minnesota was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 10 runs went under the over-under line of 8.5.