Second baseman Eduardo Nunez is 8-for-18 during a four-game hitting and RBI streak.TV: 9:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Southwest (Texas) PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Ricky Nolasco (3-7, 5.26 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Kyle Lohse (2015: 5-13, 5.85) Nolasco suffered his third defeat in as many outings despite a quality start against Oakland on Monday, when he surrendered three runs on four hits over six innings.
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The Twins answered with two runs in the top of the second on Kurt Suzuki’s double.
“Maybe. Maybe”, Rosario said with a smile.
The win was the fifth in seven meetings for the Twins against Texas, which has now dropped seven of its last nine games.
The Kepler slam, the first for Minnesota this year, capped a five-run fifth inning for the Twins off Texas starter A.J. Griffin (3-1).
“I think that results – we always talk about trusting the process – but when you get good results and win games, you understand how enjoyable it is to go out there and compete and come out and win games”, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. That includes three straight over the Rangers, who lost the last two games of their series in Minnesota last weekend. He allowed three earned runs and nine hits with no walks in six innings.
The Texas Rangers have promoted well-traveled pitcher Kyle Lohse from Triple-A and will have him start right away.
Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder (right) reaches for the ball while Twins left fielder Robbie Grossman dives back to first base in the second inning on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. Bobby Wilson then hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly as the Rangers won 6-5 on Friday night, ending their three-game skid against the AL’s worst team. The 24-year-old was hitting.200 when sent down to Triple-A Rochester in late May after hitting.267 in 122 games as a rookie last season. In eight appearances (seven starts) this season, Milone is now 1-2 with a 5.45 ERA and he has given up a total of 46 base hits in 36.1 innings. “He’s getting a chance. Just kind of erase it”. Eddie Rosario homered, tied a career record with four hits and scored a career-high four runs. “Cole’s going to be able to work through it”, manager Jeff Banister said. “Guys don’t play as relaxed at times”. It is obviously a challenge. “We go as our starters go”.
The game began after a rain delay of 1 hour, 10 minutes.
The Rangers reclaimed the lead two innings later on singles by Shin-Soo Choo and Ian Desmond. He got the Philadelphia Phillies’ Odubel Herrera on June 23. “I just try to keep ’em close with some moves”.
Twins: CF Byron Buxton (knee bruise) didn’t play after leaving Friday’s game in the first inning after colliding with the outfield wall. An MRI taken Saturday morning was negative.
“Pretty confident”, Buxton said.
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Rangers: Darvish (shoulder soreness) is scheduled to throw 75 pitches in a rehab assignment Sunday for Double-A Frisco. He is tentatively slated to start for Texas on July 16 at the Chicago Cubs. Tommy Milone tossed five-plus innings of two-run ball to even his record at 2-and-2.
