Twins Clinch Season Series Over Rangers With 8-6 Win
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Eddie Rosario homered, tied a career record with four hits and scored a career-high four runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 8-6 on Saturday night.
The Twins, with the American League's worst record, have won four of six against the club with the league's best record over the past nine days to clinch the season series with one game left. Minnesota has outscored Texas 47-25 in the six games.
The Twins overall have won six of their last eight games.
Ricky Nolasco (4-7) won for the first time since June 13. He allowed three earned runs on nine hits with no walks in six innings.
Kyle Lohse (0-1) gave up six runs on nine hits after being officially added to Texas' roster from Triple-A Round Rock earlier Saturday. Lohse, 37, last started a major league game last August for the Milwaukee Brewers. He made his big league debut with the Twins in 2001.
Rosario, hitting .206 going into the game, hit his fourth home run of the season into the upper deck in right field in the fifth inning, doubled twice and singled. His previous four-game came on April 21 against the Brewers.
It was Rosario's third multi-game of the season, his second in three games.
Eduardo Nunez hit his 12th home run of the season. His previous career high was five.
Lohse's five-inning start ended a club-record seven-game stretch during which no Rangers starter lasted that far.
With Texas losing six of its last eight games, starters have an ERA of 10.45 during that span with opponents hitting .400. Three of the Rangers' regular starters have been on the disabled list: Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis and Derek Holland.
The Rangers haven't won consecutive games since a four-game winning streak, June 25-28.
Ian Desmond had a double and two singles to give him 37 multi-hit games, one behind major league leader Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox.
Elvis Andrus' two hits included his fourth home run of the season, his first since June 15.
The game began after a rain delay of 1:10.
TRAINER'S ROOM
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.
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.
UP NEXT
Minnesota LHP Tommy Milone (1-2) allowed one run over six innings in his last start, equaling his longest outing of the season to earn the win. Texas RHP A.J. Griffin (3-0) hasn't gotten a decision in three starts since returning from the disabled list (right shoulder stiffness).
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