Homers By Kepler, Schoop Lead Twins Past Rangers 4-3
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Max Kepler and Jonathan Schoop hit two-run home runs to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
The Twins increased their AL Central lead to 1½ games over the Cleveland Indians, who lost Friday night.
Schoop homered in the seventh inning following a one-out single by Marwin Gonzalez. Kepler hit his team-leading 33rd homer in the fourth inning on the first pitch after Miguel Sanó reached when Rougned Odor dropped a popup in shallow right field.
The Twins lead the major leagues with 238 homers and are on pace to break the big-league record of 267 set last season by the New York Yankees. Minnesota has homered in 16 of its past 18 games since July 28 with a total of 37.
Mike Minor (11-7) allowed all four runs in losing for the first time in four starts. Kepler's homer ended Minor's scoreless innings streak at 19 1/3.
Sam Dyson (5-1) earned his first win since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants on July 31 with a scoreless seventh inning. Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth, finishing with Danny Santana's ground out with runners on first and second, for his third save in four tries since being acquired from the Miami Marlins on July 27 and 20th in 22 opportunities overall this season.
The Rangers were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, leaving a runner at third base in the seventh and eighth innings and at second in the ninth.
Nomar Mazara put the Rangers ahead in the sixth on a two-out, two-run double to the gap in right center.
Jake Odorizzi allowed all three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He has filed to last six innings in nine of his last 10 starts.
The Rangers' first run scored when Odorizzo uncorked his first wild pitch of the season, skimming off the top of Mitch Garver's glove to score Elvis Andrus.
The Arlington-based team now has a 60-62 record and will take on the Twins again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)