MINNEAPOLIS -- Eight days after throwing a no-hitter, Mike Fiers delivered another gem as the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Saturday night at Target Field.

Fiers, working seven days after throwing a career-high 134 pitches and holding the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless on Aug. 21, allowed three hits and one run in six-plus innings, improving to 2-0 since being dealt to the Astros from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30. He also walked three and struck out five.

"I felt great," Fiers said. "I still walked more guys than I should have, but I was throwing a lot of strikes and trying to get off the field. We were able to get an early lead there and ride it out."

In four starts since the trade, Fiers has allowed two earned runs. The win improved his record to 7-9 overall this season and lowered his ERA to 3.54.

Down by four runs after 3 1/2 innings, the Twins had multiple opportunities to get back into the game against Fiers.

Minnesota loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth but could muster just one after a double play by third baseman Trevor Plouffe helped stifle a rally.

"That was a pivotal inning for us," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Right after we scored three ... to stop them at one run was a big deal."

Fiers said, "We didn't care about one run there. We were playing normal double play depth and Trevor hit one right to Jed (Lowrie) and we were able to turn two. That was the biggest inning of the game right there."

Twins second baseman Brian Dozier led off the sixth with a double but was stranded at third base.

The first two batters also reached against Fiers in the seventh, ending his night. But Astros reliever Will Harris sandwiched two strikeouts around a flyout to shallow right, keeping the lead at three runs.

"Yet another inning where Harris comes in with traffic on the bases and does a spectacular job," Hinch said.

Dozier led off the eighth with the double against right-hander Pat Neshek and Joe Mauer followed with a one-out infield single to put runners at the corners, but Neshek got Miguel Sano to strike out on three pitches and Plouffe to ground out softly back to the mound.

Mauer's hit was Minnesota's only one with runners in scoring position as the Twins went 1-for-14 and stranded seven runners on base.

Luke Gregerson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 25th save.

Houston got on the board in the third when designated hitter Evan Gattis swatted an RBI single down the left-field line. Gattis was thrown out trying to advance to second base, ending the inning with a runner on third.

A three-run fourth ended the night of Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey. The Astros started the inning with back-to-back singles. First baseman Luis Valbuena doubled into the right-field corner to score two, and a broken-bat single up the middle by left fielder Jake Marisnick scored Valbuena to make it 4-0.

"He got through those first two innings and his velocity was fine," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "But he didn't throw a lot of off-speed pitches. And when he did, they weren't particularly effective. They were starting to get better swings and I think he was relying on that fastball because he thought that was his best chance."

Marisnick's hit knocked Pelfrey from the game after 3 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs (all earned), seven hits and two walks.

"The last couple of starts, I don't think my command has been that great," Pelfrey said. "I've had a hard time getting through five and didn't even get the fifth tonight. Against a team like this, their pitching is so good, I put (my teammates) in a tough hole.”

The Twins and Astros will play the rubber game of the three-game series Sunday afternoon.

NOTES: Astros SS Carlos Correa was not in the lineup Saturday. Correa missed his third consecutive game with a sore left hamstring. ... Astros C Jason Castro was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quadriceps. ... Houston recalled C Max Stassi from Triple-A Fresno. Stassi has seven hits and four RBIs in 20 at-bats with the Astros this season. ... Twins 3B/DH Miguel Sano returned to the lineup as the designated hitter and batted fourth. Sano missed Friday's game with a sore right hamstring. ... Twins 1B Joe Mauer returned to the lineup after a routine day of rest on Friday. It was just the third day off for Mauer this season, who is on pace for a career high in both at-bats and games played. ... The Astros and Twins will wrap up a three-game series at Target Field on Sunday afternoon. Houston RHP Lance McCullers (5-4, 3.12 ERA) will oppose Minnesota RHP Ervin Santana (2-4, 6.05).