Marcus Semien homered, tripled and drove in four runs as the Texas Rangers outslugged the Minnesota Twins, 9-7, on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
Semien’s run-scoring triple in the eighth inning off Jhoan Duran regained the lead for the Rangers after the Twins pulled even in the top of the inning. Mitch Garver, formerly with the Twins, added an RBI single as the Rangers have taken the first two of the series.
Semien, Corey Seager and Kole Calhoun each homered for Texas.
Jose Miranda and Gary Sanchez connected for the Twins.
Matt Moore (4-2) picked up the win in relief and Duran (0-3) suffered the loss, with Brett Martin collecting his second save.
Twins left-hander Devin Smeltzer was tagged for seven runs and eight hits — including the three home runs in 3 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the season.
Rangers lefty Martin Perez gave up six runs and seven hits in six innings, and also was victimized by the long ball. Perez had allowed just four home runs in 100 innings entering the game. But in the fourth inning, the lefty surrendered two in a six-run frame.
The Rangers struck for three runs in the second inning. Nathaniel Lowe walked and Jonah Heim singled sharply to left, setting up Calhoun’s three-run homer, his 11th of the season.
But in the fourth inning, the Twins responded with a pair of home runs in a six-run inning.
Miranda pulled the Twins even at 3 with his three-run homer, and the Twins weren’t done. Gio Urshela then reached on an infield single before Sanchez connected on a two-run blast to right. The sixth run came on Byron Buxton’s RBI double off the wall in right field.
Minnesota’s lead didn’t last long, as the Rangers scored four in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back blasts by Semien and Seager. With one out, Leody Taveras walked and Charlie Culberson doubled. Semien delivered his three-run homer, and Seager followed with his 18th home run to right, making it 7-6.
But in the eighth inning, the Twins tied it on Gilberto Celestino’s fielder’s choice RBI grounder with the bases loaded.
— Field Level Media