Alex Kirilloff went 1-for-3 with a go-ahead home run, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Christian Vazquez and Edouard Julien drove in one run apiece for Minnesota, which won its third game in a row. Jose Miranda, Carlos Correa and Vazquez finished with two hits apiece.
Corey Seager hit a two-run homer to lead the Rangers. Marcus Semien, Josh Smith and Leody Taveras tallied the only other hits for Texas, which dropped its fifth game in a row and has lost 11 of its past 13 contests.
Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (5-2) allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out five, throwing 57 of 99 pitches for strikes.
Rangers right-hander Jose Urena (1-4) gave up three runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out six.
Twins closer Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
Texas wasted no time jumping to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Semien drew a leadoff walk, and Seager belted a two-run homer in the next at-bat.
The 417-foot shot to center field increased Seager’s home run streak to four games. He has nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 47 games this season.
Minnesota evened the score at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second.
Miranda scored the first run for the Twins after he singled, advanced to second base on a single by Willi Castro and came home on a ground-rule double by Vazquez. Moments later, Julien tied the score with an RBI groundout that scored Castro.
Kirilloff gave the Twins a 3-2 advantage with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth. He pulled a pitch 400 feet down the right field line for his fourth homer.
Steven Okert, Caleb Thielbar, Griffin Jax and Duran combined to pitch four scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Minnesota. They did not allow a hit.
–Field Level Media
