HOUSTON -- Considering all the moving parts at work in the ninth inning on Saturday night, it was fitting that a subtle defensive maneuver proved to be the difference between victory and defeat for the Twins.

Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-run triple in the ninth inning and Twins closer Kevin Jepsen held on for dear life in the bottom half of the inning as the Minnesota Twins earned a dramatic 3-2 win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Rosario hit a flare down the right-field line off Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson (7-3) that George Springer failed to corral despite a diving effort. Second baseman Brian Dozier, who singled to open the frame, and third baseman Trevor Plouffe, hit by a Gregerson pitch, scored to give the Twins (70-65) a critical two-run lead.

The Astros (74-62) rallied in their half of the inning.Third baseman Jed Lowrie belted his seventh home run of the season.

A single and two walks later, and Jepsen was in a jam. But with the bases loaded and two outs, second baseman Jose Altuve lined out to center fielder Byron Buxton, who inched in before the pitch and used his speed to make a sprawling catch.

"That last ball, we brought the outfielders in a little bit just to cut down that go-ahead run at second," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Altuve hit it on the screws and Buxton got a great jump. He had to fight the knuckling affect a little bit on the ball."

Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (4-4) allowed one run on six hits and two walks while recording 11 strikeouts over eight innings. Santana surrendered one earned run on 12 hits and two walks with 21 strikeouts over 15 frames in his last two turns against Houston.

He needed to be at his best -- Astros rookie right-hander Lance McCullers nearly matched Santana pitch for pitch.

"He had tremendous stuff and he was working hard and fast," Santana said of McCullers. "But I was like, 'If he can do it I can do it too.' It was a good battle."

Santana retired the first eight batters he faced before walking catcher Hank Conger with two out in the second inning. But as he would also do in the fifth inning after he lost his shutout bid, Santana closed the third with a called third strike against Springer.

After failing to score despite posting consecutive hits off Santana in the fourth, the Astros had better results in the fifth as left fielder Preston Tucker followed a Gonzalez single with a double for a 1-0 lead.

But in the sixth, Buxton legged out a leadoff double, advanced to third base when right fielder Aaron Hicks reached on a bunt single, and scored when Dozier rolled into a double play, knotting the score, 1-1.

McCullers allowed one more hit before departing after seven innings, a one-out double to Rosario in the seventh. McCullers got shortstop Eduardo Escobar looking at a called third strike to cap his night, having allowed one run on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

"From the get-go, first pitch on, I'm just out there fighting for my guys, doing the best I can for them. That's always my goal," McCullers said. "That's where I set my sights. I don't pay too much attention on who I'm facing or how they're flowing. I just want to do my job and be out there for the guys."

McCullers, like Santana, did his duty. Ultimately it came down to the outfield play Buxton made and the one Springer missed by a hair.

"Obviously I didn't (make the play) and it cost us the game," Springer said. "So obviously it's a play I have to make and I will."

NOTES: Twins RF Torii Hunter was absent from the starting lineup as he continues to battle a prolonged slump. Hunter is batting only .100/.194/.117 over his last 18 games (17 starts) and has not hit a home run since Aug. 7 in Cleveland. Hunter has 18 home runs this season but has been stuck on 349 career homers since his ninth-inning blast off Indians RHP Bryan Shaw. ... Astros RHP Scott Feldman began a throwing program, the next step toward reclaiming his spot in the rotation after departing in the third inning Tuesday night with shoulder discomfort. Feldman is expected to miss at least one turn in the rotation. ... Twins DH Miguel Sano continues to deal with a strained right hamstring that kept him out of the lineup on Thursday. Sano finished 1-for-4 on Friday night, but was laboring noticeably while attempting to jog out a ground ball in the fourth inning.