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. The Rangers had been trailing 4-0 going into the seventh inning.
Jose Miranda fielded Jung’s one-out grounder off Jhoan Duran (6-6), but his throw to first base pulled Carlos Santana off the base. Santana tried to tag out Jung, but the ball came loose and rolled toward right field, allowing the 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 inning, helping the defending World Series champions score five runs in that inning. This effort helped them avoid a four-game sweep and get only their second win in eight games.
“We’re going out there every night giving everything we’ve got,” Jung said. “It just shows we can do it.”
Texas manager Bruce Bochy said, “You’re looking at getting swept, you’re down four runs. Then they broke loose. This was a big one.”
Andrew Chafin (4-2) pitched a scoreless 10th inning for Texas. With the Twins’ automatic runner Edouard Julien on third base and one out, Julien tried to score on a grounder against a drawn-in infield.
He didn’t slide, was thrown out by shortstop Corey Seager, and the call was upheld after Minnesota’s challenge that catcher Carson Kelly had blocked the plate.
The Rangers scored 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 field that tied the game after Matt Wallner’s glove dropped behind the wall, and Jung hit a homer to center field.
Alcala had previously allowed 11 earned runs in 46 innings this season.
Santana led off Minnesota’s ninth inning with a game-tying home run to right field off Kirby Yates, marking Yates’ first blown save of the season in 22 chances.
Gerson Garabito pitched a career-high four innings in relief of Rangers starter Tyler Mahle and was in line for his first major league win before Santana’s homer.
