-DH Miguel Sano went 2-for-3 with a single, a double and a walk.
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But Sano’s breakout performance Wednesday wasn’t all that surprising. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth inning, the Twins rallied to post a pair of runs and tie the game.
Martinez (7-7) allowed seven runs – four earned – on 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He became the first Twins pitcher this season to reach 100 strikeouts. It was a barometer of things to come. Sano followed with his first homer of the night, which traveled 437 feet to left-center field, giving the Twins a four-run lead. “Somehow, he stayed inside of it and hit it as far as he did”. The Twins’ record is 55-56, four games back of the second wild-card spot.
This came right after the Twins returned from a brutal road trip to Toronto and Cleveland when they went 1-6 and were outscored 60-27, pushing them into sixth place in the chase for two AL wild cards and prompting a players-only meeting in the clubhouse before batting practice. While I wrote an article on Monday which desecrated the Twins’ playoff chances (and I still believe they won’t be playing in October) a dramatic win like last night’s may be just what this team needed as a shot in the arm. “Guys trying to pick each other up the best way they can”. “That was extra motivation coming into today”. Rangers right-handed starter Nick Martinez is vulnerable against right-handed hitters, who had a. 298 average with an. The 11 hits allowed were a career high and the outing was the shortest by Martinez in over two months. We made some adjustments towards our game plan. “I recognized the situation, I just couldn’t get there”.
The Minnesota Twins busted out the sticks and beat up the Rangers to win their second straight game 11-1 Wednesday night at Target Field.
“Pelfrey threw the ball very well, ” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. At that moment, it seemed as if it was going to be another poor performance from a Twins’ starter and there must have been a resounding thought around Target Field of “not again”.
-1B Joe Mauer doubled in the eighth inning, his second hit of the night.
Entering the Rangers series, no Twins regular was hitting.
“My fastball was really flat”, said Diekman, who before Tuesday had not allowed a run in six innings pitched with Texas. Minnesota are 2-7 in their last 9 overall and are 8-3 in their last 11 Thursday games while the over is 9-4 in their last 13 on grass. LOB-Minnesota 10, Texas 4.
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With their playoff hopes fading faster than daylight during the dog days of August, the offense of the Minnesota Twins came alive just in the nick of time to save what could have been a devastating loss Tuesday.
