Rangers Top Twins

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MINNEAPOLIS — On the warmest night (50 degrees) of the season for baseball in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Twins’ bats were cold as pitcher Nick Tepesch and the Texas Rangers shut down the Twins 2-1 to win their 15th of the season.

For six innings, Tepesch dominated the Twins, giving up only two hits and no runs in a very efficient performance.

The Rangers, who put up 10 hits (including three doubles) and scored two runs early, cooled off in the later innings, struggling to get the clutch hit to score any insurance runs. But with Tepesch’s pitching performance and some tight defense behind them, the offense did enough to win the game.

Former Twins closer Joe Nathan came in the ninth inning for the Rangers and set down the Twins to make sure of it. It was Nathan’s seventh save.

The Rangers opened the scoring in the second inning when Adrian Beltre doubled off the center-field wall and moved to third on a fielder’s choice. Nelson Cruz hit a blast high off the right-field wall and was thrown out going to second as Beltre strolled home.

Twins starter Vance Worley gave up two runs and six early hits but struggled to get batters out, throwing 102 pitches in five innings.

In the fifth, Leonys Martin singled and then scored on Elvis Andrus’ double down the line. Still, Worley kept his team in the game before handing it over to the bullpen.

Tepesch was very efficient, taking a no-hitter into the fifth, when Justin Morneau led off with a single to right. Tepesch had retired the previous 12 batters and kept the Minnesota hitters off balance all night.

In the seventh inning, the Twins finally got to Tepesch, tapping him for three hits and spoiling his shutout.

Josh Willingham hit a line drive that just crept over the left-field wall for a solo home run, and then Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe hit back-to-back singles to finish Tepesch for the night. Tepesch gave up one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, with one strikeout and no walks.

The Twins threatened again in the eighth with bases loaded and one out, but Willingham hit into an inning-ending double play.