Rangers Lose To Twins
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ARLINGTON, Texas — All the extra-base hits finally paid off for the Minnesota Twins.
One day after collecting seven in a losing effort, the Twins pounded out nine extra-base hits in a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Minnesota needed every one of them too. Right fielder Eddie Rosario doubled to right-center field with two outs in the ninth to snap a 3-3 tie and give the Twins the winning run.
Rosario’s double off Texas closer Shawn Tolleson scored center fielder Byron Buxton from first. Buxton went 0-for-4 in his major league debut with two strikeouts. He reached in the ninth inning after failing to get down a sacrifice bunt as the Rangers threw out Minnesota shortstop Eduardo Escobar at third after he led off the inning with a double.
The extra-base spree for Minnesota included a club-record tying four triples, including three in an inning. That three-triple sixth inning netted Minnesota just one run, the first time that’s happened in the last 50 years according to Elias.
The Twins had to work for their lone win in the series but it was worth it.
“Winning’s good,” Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. “They’ve been hard to come by as of late, obviously. And it wasn’t easy today. Phil (Hughes), he had to grind it. He was missing up quite a bit. Thankfully, we got a
big hit from Rosario at the end.”
Minnesota closer Glen Perkins retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth for his 22nd save to preserve the victory for reliever Casey Fien (2-2), who pitched two scoreless innings.
The Rangers didn’t get so lucky with their bullpen work as Tolleson had allowed just one run in his last 10 games.
“I fell behind a lot of hitters, a lot of 2-0 counts,” Tolleson said. “I wasn’t really putting myself in a good position there. Every loss is tough. It hurts a little bit. We looked great those first two games. We looked great today too.”
Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier led off the first with a homer off Texas starter Nick Martinez and it was a sign of things to come for the Twins. Included in the nine extra-base hits was a club-record tying four triples.
While the Twins had lost five straight, they are now 1-0 with Buxton playing for them. And while he didn’t have a hit he did savor his first win as a major leaguer.
“Really just glad we got the win,” said Buxton, who said he hadn’t been asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt since rookie ball. “I don’t really care how much I did out there. Got my feet and got all the jitters out, so just ready to get back out there and play another game.”
Minnesota led 2-0 but the Rangers tied the game on solo homers from third baseman Joey Gallo and center fielder Leonys Martin in the second inning. Texas took a 3-2 lead on a grounder from designated hitter Prince Fielder in the fifth but the Twins answered that in the sixth on an RBI triple from left fielder Shane Robinson.
The Robinson triple of one of three the Twins had in the sixth but they scored just once. It was the first three-triple inning in Twins’ history. Robinson had two of the triples but also was picked off third in the sixth.
Both starters had quality starts. It was the third straight for Hughes, who allowed three runs in his six innings. Martinez went seven and allowed three runs and extended the streak of quality starts by the Rangers to 10 straight, which matches the club record.
Tolleson did that despite allowing seven of the extra-base hits.
“It was one of those days where I had to battle,” Martinez said. “I thought I made some good pitches that they hit and I made some bad pitches that they hit. It was just one of those days where you have to grind it out.”
