Twins 4, Astros 2: Joe Mauer returned to the lineup for the first time in more than a month and delivered a go-ahead single in the ninth inning to lift visiting Minnesota over Houston.

Mauer, who went on the disabled list with an oblique injury on July 2, extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a double earlier in the contest and came up with two on in the ninth against right-hander Josh Fields (2-5). Mauer worked the count full before slashing a single to left with the runners going, plating both when Domingo Santana was slow getting the ball back to the infield to make a winner out of Brian Duensing (3-2) in relief.

Danny Santana had three hits and scored a run for the Twins while Glen Perkins worked around a hit in the ninth for his 29th save. Jose Altuve and Chris Carter each homered and Jake Marisnick went 4-for-4 for the Astros, who have dropped five of seven.

Trevor Plouffe put Minnesota on top in the first inning with an RBI fielder’s choice but Altuve’s blast to the train tracks in left knotted it up in the bottom half. The Twins grabbed the lead again in the fourth when Houston starter Brad Peacock sent a pickoff attempt up the right-field line, allowing Eduardo Escobar to score, but the Astros again got the run back on a homer when Carter sent his 26th out to left in the fifth.

Tommy Milone took over Minnesota’s rotation spot vacated when Kevin Correia was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings in his Twins debut. Peacock needed 115 pitches to get through five innings but limited the damage to two runs - one earned - on seven hits and a walk while striking out five.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Twins nearly took the lead in the eighth but Astros RF Robbie Grossman fired home to nail Plouffe trying to score from second on a single. … Minnesota dealt LF Josh Willingham to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor-league RHP Jason Adam. … Houston OF Alex Presley (right oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday.