Carlos Santana and Ryan Jeffers each homered, helping lead the visiting Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday.
Starter Simeon Woods Richardson (4-3) went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits to pick up the win. Woods Richardson also walked two and struck out one. The Twins have won four of their last five games.
Wyatt Langford finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs for Texas, which has dropped eight of its last 10 games.
Texas opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, as Adolis Garcia led off with a single, followed by Nathaniel Lowe’s walk. After Josh Jung advanced both runners with a fly out, Langford drove in Garcia with a sacrifice fly.
Woods Richardson then struck out Leody Taveras to escape the jam. The Twins immediately tied the game in the top of the third, as Jeffers launched his 18th homer of the season, a leadoff shot off Andrew Heaney, knotting the score at 1.
Neither team threatened again until the top of the fifth, when Jeffers was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. After Heaney struck out Edouard Julien, Manuel Margot singled to put runners on the corners.
Santana then swatted his 17th homer of the season, giving the Twins a 4-1 advantage.
Matt Festa replaced Heaney (4-13) after 4 1/3 innings of four-run, five-hit ball. The left-hander struck out eight and walked one.
Marcus Semien got one of the runs back for Texas in the bottom of the fifth, connecting on his 18th homer of the season. Woods Richardson then retired Corey Seager, putting a stamp on his start. Woods Richardson was replaced by Caleb Thielbar after five innings.
After Thielbar was relieved by Cole Sands with two outs and a man on first in the sixth inning, Jung singled to put runners on the corners before Langford drove in Lowe on an RBI base hit, cutting Texas’ deficit to 4-3.
Minnesota relievers combined for four innings of four-hit, one-run ball. Twins closer Jhoan Duran threw a scoreless ninth, securing his 18th save.
–Field Level Media
