Struggling Twins fall to 0-7 in extra-inning games
RANGERS 4, TWINS 3 (10)
MINNEAPOLIS — The first nine innings for the Minnesota Twins haven’t exactly been a blast. Their experience after that has been quite exhausting.
“Based on the first month of this season? I’m starting to sour on it,” Manager Rocco Baldelli said of the speed-up-the-game rule started last season that puts a runner on second base to begin each extra inning.
Working overtime has worked far better for the Texas Rangers, who used Willie Calhoun’s RBI single in the 10th inning Thursday to beat the reeling Twins, who fell to 0-7 in extra innings.
“We’re really bumping right now as a team,” Calhoun said.
Joey Gallo and Jonah Heim homered for the Rangers, whose third consecutive victory matched the team’s season-long streak. They raised their record to 3-0 in fourgame series and 4-0 in extra innings.
“They’re a fun team to watch. I told them that after the game, with a few expletives,” Texas Manager Chris Woodward said.
Rangers relievers logged 122/3 scoreless innings over the last three games and have been credited with each of the team’s last five victories.
Brett de Geus and Taylor Hearn (1-1) each pitched two scoreless innings in this one, and Josh Sborz earned his first save with a dominant 10th against a Twins team that has hit its fourth losing streak of three games or more this year.
“The experience they’re getting now in these leverage spots, they’re never going to forget that,” Woodward said.
Heim was the automatic runner at second in the 10th against Tyler Duffey (0-1), who let him advance with a wild pitch. Calhoun smacked a single to right off an eye-high fastball to score him.
Sborz struck out Willians Astudillo, who had an earlier two-run single among his three hits and one of the toughest batters in baseball to strike out. Pinch-hitter Josh Donaldson fanned on three pitches. Then Gallo made a diving, snow-cone catch of a shallow fly to save the tying run and end the game.
“There’s a reason why Joe has gold on his glove,” Calhoun said.
ASTROS 7, YANKEES 4 Jose Altuve responded to jeering fans by marking his 31st birthday with a go-ahead, three-run home run off Chad Green in the eighth inning, and Houston beat New York to avoid a three-game sweep.
INDIANS 4, ROYALS 0 Triston McKenzie pitched one-hit ball into the sixth inning and Cleveland beat Kansas City to complete a fourgame sweep.
RED SOX 12, TIGERS 9 Franchy Cordero came off the bench with three hits to snap an 0-for-25 slump, then brought home the winning run in the eighth with the help of Detroit’s fourth error, and Boston held on after blowing three previous leads.
BLUE JAYS 10, ATHLETICS 4 Randal Grichuk homered, doubled and drove in five runs and Toronto beat Oakland to split of the fourgame series after dropping the first two games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILLIES 2, BREWERS 0 Zack Wheeler struck out eight and in a three-hitter and Alex Bohm homered to help Philadelphia beat Milwaukee for a four-game sweep.
METS 4, CARDINALS 1 Taijuan Walker allowed 1 hit in 7 innings and New York scored 3 runs on bases-loaded walks to beat St. Louis. Walker struck out eight and walked none to help the Mets split the four-game series after dropping the first two. Trevor May struck out two in a perfect eighth and Edwin Diaz pitched around a pair of hits in the ninth for his fourth save.
BRAVES 3, NATIONALS 2 Ehire Adrianza made the most of a rare start on a day off for slumping NL MVP Freddie Freeman, providing a nice defensive play and a two-run single to back Drew Smyly’s strong outing, leading Atlanta past Washington. Smyly (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) pitched into the seventh and allowed four hits and an unearned run.
MARLINS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Adam Duvall hit a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning and five pitchers combined on a five-hitter to help Miami complete its first sweep of the season with a victory over Arizona.