MINNEAPOLIS — Pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers broke a tie with a two-run, two-out homer in a three-run eighth inning, and the Minnesota Twins beat Texas 7-5 on Thursday night and sent the Rangers to a season-high seventh straight loss.
In a matchup of division leaders. Minnesota tied a season high with five homers and overcame a 5-2, fifth-inning deficit. Michael A. Taylor homered twice for Minnesota, and Royce Lewis and Kyle Farmer also went deep.
On a night of eight home runs, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Leody Tavares hit solo drives for the Rangers. Texas, which has led the AL West since April 9, is just one game ahead of Houston and Seattle.
AL Central-leading Minnesota opened a six-game lead over second-place Cleveland.
Minnesota trailed 5-4 when Matt Wallner singled off Josh Sborz (5-6) starting the eighth. Carlos Correa, who had stranded runners on base in each of his first three at-bats, hit a tying double to the base of the center-field wall.
Lewis walked and left-hander Will Smith got Max Kepler to ground into a double play. Jeffers hit for Edouard Julien and drove Smith’s first pitch, an inside slider, 427 feet to the second deck in left-center. It was Jeffers' second home run in 14 career pinch at-bats.
Minnesota also homered five times against the Chicago White Sox on May 13.
Josh Winder (2-0) pitched three hitless innings in relief of Pablo López. Griffin Jax worked around a one-out walk in the ninth, getting Nathaniel Lowe to ground into a game-ending double play for his second save this season.
Travis Jankowski had three hits and drove in two runs for the Rangers.
López had a 19-inning scoreless streak before Semien led off the game with his 20th homer this season.
Farmer homered in the second but the Rangers took a 4-1 lead in the third on Seagar’s 24th and Jankowski's two-run single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (forearm soreness) threw on the side. Manager Bruce Bochy said the team likely wouldn’t decide until Friday whether Eovaldi would need a rehab assignment before returning to the starting rotation. The 2023 All-Star has made one start since the All-Star break.
Twins: RHP Oliver Ortega (left lumbar strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list. The team recalled RHP Jordan Balazovic from Triple-A St. Paul.
UP NEXT
Texas RHP Dane Dunning (9-5, 3.19) will face Minnesota’ RHP Sonny Gray (6-6, 3.15) on Friday night.
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