Alex Kirilloff hit a home run in the fourth inning to put the Twins ahead, and Minnesota’s pitchers held strong to secure a narrow 3-2 victory over the struggling Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Carlos Correa, Christian Vázquez, and Jose Miranda each contributed with two hits for the Twins, who have now won three games in a row after breaking a seven-game losing streak.
Corey Seager hit a two-run homer for the Rangers in the first inning, but after that, the Rangers struggled to score. They have lost 11 of their last 13 games and have not been able to score more than four runs in a game during this rough stretch.
Twins pitcher Bailey Ober, despite early challenges, managed to earn the win. He allowed two runs and four hits, walked three batters, hit two batters, and struck out five in five innings.
The Twins’ bullpen, consisting of Steven Okert, Caleb Thielbar, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Duran, each pitched a scoreless inning. Duran, who had given up a home run in each of his three previous appearances, secured his fifth save despite allowing a walk with two outs.
Rangers starter José Ureña gave up three runs and nine hits while striking out six batters in five innings.
Kirilloff’s home run in the fourth inning gave the Twins a 3-2 lead. The ball traveled a long distance, landing in the Target Field plaza about 400 feet away, demonstrating the Twins’ determination to turn the game around after the Rangers’ strong start with Seager’s homer in the first inning.
