Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers Box Score on Aug 15, 2019

Luis Arraez, Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario homered, and Marwin Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs as the Minnesota Twins jumped out to an 11-run lead and cruised to a 13-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas.

Arraez also doubled and had three hits, scored twice and drove in three runs. Jorge Polanco and Jake Cave each had two hits and scored twice for Minnesota, which remained a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Indians in first place in the American League Central.

It was the 36th game this season that the Twins, who lead the majors with 236 home runs, have hit at least three homers in a game.

Michael Pineda (8-5), activated off the 10-day disabled list earlier in the day after missing 12 games with a right triceps strain, picked up the win, allowing three runs on six hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out six.

Devin Smeltzer pitched the final four innings to earn his first career save.

Willie Calhoun and Hunter Pence homered, Delino DeShields had a double and a triple, and Rougned Odor and Danny Santana also had two hits apiece for Texas. Pedro Payano (1-2) took the loss, allowing eight runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three.

Minnesota sent nine batters to the plate while taking a 5-0 lead in the second, taking advantage of a pair of Texas errors in the process.

Arraez hit a two-run home run, driving in C.J. Cron, who reached on an error, to make it 2-0. Cave added an RBI double to plate Gonzalez after the latter doubled. Jason Castro, who had walked, and Cave later scored when Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus threw wildly while trying to get Castro at the plate on a grounder by Max Kepler.

Gonzalez, who finished with his fifth career four-hit game, made it 6-0 in the third with an RBI single.

The Twins broke it open with four more runs in the fourth, the rally highlighted by a two-run, bases-loaded single by Cron and RBI singles by Polanco and Gonzalez.

--Field Level Media