ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Josh Jung’s infield single and a throwing error gave the Texas Rangers a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon after the defending World Series champions trailed 4-0 going into the seventh.
Jose Miranda fielded Jung’s one-out chopper off Jhoan Duran (6-6) and his throw to first base pulled Carlos Santana off the bag. Santana tried to tag out Jung but the ball came loose and rolled toward right field, allowing automatic runner Adolis García to score.
“Pound it in the ground and run like hell,” Jung said. “Kind of felt like a football play toward the end.”
Jung also hit a solo homer in the seventh to cap a five-run inning for the defending World Series champions, who avoided a four-game sweep and won for the second time in eight games.
“We’re going out there every night giving everything we’ve got,” Jung said. “It just shows we can do it.”
“You’re looking at getting swept, you’re down four runs,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Then they broke loose. This was a big one.”
Andrew Chafin (4-2) pitched a scoreless 10th for Texas. Twins automatic runner Edouard Julien was on third base with one out and tried to score on a grounder against a drawn-in infield. Julien didn’t slide, was thrown out by shortstop Corey Seager, and the result was upheld following Minnesota’s challenge that catcher Carson Kelly blocked the plate.
The Rangers erupted for five runs in the seventh inning off Jorge Alcala to take a 5-4 lead after being shut out through six innings by Pablo López. Marcus Semien and Seager hit RBI doubles, García hit a two-run homer to left to tie the score — left fielder Matt Wallner’s glove dropped behind the wall — and Jung homered to straight-away center.
Alcala previously allowed 11 earned runs in 46 innings this season.
Santana led off Minnesota’s ninth with a game-tying shot to right field off Kirby Yates for the Texas closer’s first blown save this season in 22 opportunities.
Gerson Garabito didn’t allow a hit in a career-high four innings in relief of Rangers starter Tyler Mahle and was in position for his first major league win before Santana’s homer.
The Twins took a 4-0 lead after three innings as Trevor Larnach hit an RBI double and Ryan Jeffers hit a two-run homer in the first — his career-high 19th, which leads the club. Jeffers added a run-scoring single in the third.
The Twins, the AL’s second wild card, remain two games behind Central-leading Cleveland.
“It was just a matter of a handful of pitches, and the game completely turned upside down,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We’re in every game. We’re going to continue to be in every game.”
Mahle threw 61 pitches in three innings for the shortest of his three starts since being activated on Aug. 6 following Tommy John surgery in May 2023, when he was with Minnesota. In his 12 1/3 innings this season after signing as a free agent last December, Mahle has been given one run of support.
Texas is an AL-best 8-2 in extra innings this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Max Scherzer (arm fatigue) threw a bullpen, and Bochy said Scherzer could pitch a few innings in Wednesday’s game for the first time since July 30. Scherzer, 40, has pitched 39 innings this season.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP Zebby Matthews (1-0, 3.60 ERA) will make his second big-league start on Monday night at San Diego. Matthews beat Kansas City on Aug. 13, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings. The Rangers will probably choose from between RHP Dane Dunning (4-7, 4.92) or RHP José Ureña (3-8, 4.15) for Monday night’s home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will start RHP Luis Ortiz (5-3, 3.41).
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