Danny Jansen homered and drove in two runs Saturday as the Texas Rangers kept their AL West hopes alive with a rain-delayed 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
The Associated Press led with Jansen's afternoon after Texas answered Friday's 10-2 loss with a four-run second and enough offense to push the division race to the final day. Per ESPN's box, Jansen finished 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and his seventh home run of the season.
Two outs, then the inning turned
Minnesota scored first when Luke Keaschall doubled and scored on Kody Clemens' groundout in the first. Nathan Eovaldi, making his first start since Aug. 7, allowed that early run and worked into the fifth.
Texas answered with two outs in the second. Nicky Lopez doubled off Bailey Ober, and Jansen's blooper dropped for an RBI single. A throwing error by left fielder Alan Roden let Jansen take second, and Evan Carter, Alejandro Osuna, and Brandon Nimmo followed with RBI doubles for a 4-1 lead.
ESPN's scoring summary matches that two-out burst: Jansen, Carter, Osuna, and Nimmo each driving in a run.
Jansen added a leadoff homer to left in the fourth, making it 5-1. Jake Burger's solo shot in the fifth - his team-leading 28th - finished the Rangers' scoring at 6-1 before Minnesota scratched across one in the eighth.
Bottom of the order carries a division day
The AP noted the bottom three batters in Texas' starting lineup went 6-for-11 with four RBI and four runs. Carter was 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Osuna went 2-for-3 with an RBI double before exiting for a pinch-hitter.
Lopez, who started the second-inning rally with his double, left in the fourth with an injury in the area of his left ankle and heel and was replaced by Cody Freeman.
