Tatsuya Imai gets the ball for Houston in this series finale against Taj Bradley. Both starters have something to prove heading into the July 4th stretch — Imai has been reinventing himself as an MLB arm after a rocky start to his first season in the States, and Bradley has quietly become one of the more reliable starters on a Twins staff that is running desperately thin. First pitch is at 7:10 PM CT. Imai signed a $54 million deal to come over from Japan and looked shaky for much of the first half — his ERA sat north of 6.00 as recently as mid-June. But his last 2 starts have been a different story entirely: 21 strikeouts over 12 combined innings, capped by a 6-inning gem against Detroit where he allowed 2 hits, 0 runs, and struck out 10. Manager Joe Espada noted that his fastball-slider combo is getting 'dirtier and dirtier.' Bradley, meanwhile, bounced back from a rough outing against Detroit in early June with 3 consecutive quality starts, including 7 innings of 2-run ball against Colorado last week. His ERA has ticked down to 3.98. For a Twins team bleeding pitching depth, he's been a genuine anchor. Minnesota came into this series having dropped 4 of their last 5, including a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers that felt like a gut punch. They managed a single win in a 2-game midweek set against the Rockies before dropping the nightcap 8-5. The Astros, on the other hand, just returned home after going 4-1 on a road trip through Toronto and Detroit, with their only blemish an 8-0 shutout loss on June 26. They may be a .500 club in the standings, but they arrive at Minute Maid Park with genuine momentum. The Twins travel to Houston as a team that, at 39-45, is watching the AL Central pull away from them while their rotation literally limps off the field. The Twins' injury report tells the whole story. Pablo López is done for the year. David Festa is out with a shoulder issue. Mick Abel just had elbow surgery. And Bailey Ober — one of Minnesota's best arms before things fell apart — is still on the IL working his way back. That's 4 starting pitchers either shelved or gutted. The bullpen ranks dead last in MLB ERA. This is a team trying to survive until the All-Star break, not compete. Carlos Correa is out for Houston with an ankle injury that required surgery, which is a real blow to their shortstop depth, but the Astros have enough positional pieces to absorb that loss in a way the Twins simply cannot absorb their pitching losses. Bradley can keep it close, but Minnesota's path to a road series win in this finale is narrow. This series capper shapes up as a coin-flip starter duel that ultimately hinges on which offense shows up. The Twins did scratch out 9 runs against Colorado, so they're not incapable of manufacturing offense, but doing it on the road against an Imai who is hitting his stride is a different proposition. The Astros close out their homestand in a spot that suits them — fresh off a winning road trip, settled into their home park with a starter who looks like the arm Houston hoped they were buying when they signed him.