The game was effectively over before the fourth inning ended. Minnesota poured 10 runs onto the board in the first four frames Tuesday at Globe Life Field, and the Rangers never found a way back, falling 12-2 to the Twins.
Zebby Matthews made the lead stand up with ease. The right-hander worked 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits with 4 strikeouts and no walks on 93 pitches. With a 4.78 ERA, Matthews did not need to be perfect — he just needed to be steady, and he was.
The damage began immediately. Trevor Larnach opened the scoring with a 425-foot home run to right in the first, and Buxton scored on a Josh Bell single to make it 2-0. Minnesota added 3 more in the third when Kody Clemens launched a 367-foot homer to right, scoring Larnach and Buxton. The fourth inning broke the game open entirely: Royce Lewis singled to center, scoring Buxton and Alex Jackson; Bell doubled to right and a throwing error by right fielder Nimmo allowed Clemens and Lewis to score; then Luke Keaschall singled to left to score Bell, pushing the lead to 10-0. Clemens finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and 3 RBI. Larnach went 4-for-6 with a home run and 1 RBI. Bell contributed 2 hits, 2 RBI, and a walk in 4 at-bats. Jackson went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and 1 RBI, and Lewis drove in 2 runs. Byron Buxton crossed the plate three times.
Texas managed only token resistance. Wyatt Langford scored in the fourth on Ezequiel Duran's fielder's choice grounder, and Alejandro Osuna scored in the fifth on a Díaz double to center. The Rangers finished with 8 hits but 2 errors compounded their troubles, most notably the throwing error in the fourth that turned a two-run double into a four-run inning. Minnesota added 2 more in the ninth on an Alex Jackson double that scored Keaschall and a Fedko sacrifice fly that scored Jackson, closing the final at 12-2.
Minnesota improved to 33-40 with the win, snapping whatever recent rhythm Texas had built. The Rangers, now 35-36, had entered the game on a one-game winning streak. Both clubs sit third in their respective division standings.