After big hit from Jose Miranda, Twins crumble in 10th inning
On a night that began with Ron Gardenhire joyfully inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame, the mood slowly worsened as the Texas Rangers beat the Twins 4-3 in ten innings at Target Field.
The Rangers scored twice in the top of the tenth inning and the Twins failed to come all the way back. With runners at second and third and two out, Max Kepler hit a dribbler to the mound that Texas' Jonathan Hernandez couldn't handle, scoring Arraez from third to make it a one-run game with the tying run at third and Jose Miranda at the plate.
Miranda, who ripped the game-tying single in the eighth inning to force extra innings, popped out to left field to end the game. The loss snaps Minnesota's win streak at four.
Corey Seager's RBI single to start the 10th inning put Texas up 3-2 and they made it a two-run lead when Seager scored on a single to center by Mark Mathias. Caleb Thielbar gave up the go-ahead single to Seager and Griffin Jax allowed the second run-scoring hit in the 10th.
Byron Buxton, who is hitting under .150 with runners in scoring position this season, went 0-4 with a walk and struck out looking in a key at-bat in the 10th inning. His batting average this season, despite his team-leading 27 homers, is .222.
Up next: Twins vs. Rangers, 1 p.m. Sunday at Target Field.
Note: Devin Smeltzer, who was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul after Tyler Mahle was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier Saturday, tossed three innings of one-run ball after relieving Chris Archer in the sixth inning. He gave up one run on three hits. .
