Twins club Rangers 17-5
MINNEAPOLIS -- Max Kepler hit two home runs and had seven RBIs as the Minnesota Twins won 17-5 over the Texas Rangers on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.
Kepler's two-homer day was the first of his major league career as he became the first rookie in Major League Baseball this season to knock in seven runs in a game. It also set a Twins rookie franchise record, previously held by Tony Oliva, Oswaldo Arcia and Miguel Sano, who each had six.
The 17 runs scored was a season high for Minnesota, which has the worst record in baseball (26-54). Texas, which began the day with the best record in the American League, has lost three of its last four.
Eduardo Nunez had four hits, including a pair of doubles, and Sano had a two-run homer and knocked in three.
Things got so bad for Texas in the later innings that catcher Bryan Holaday was tasked with getting the final four outs of the game.
Tyler Duffey (4-6) got the win, allowing four runs on eight hits while walking none and striking out two in six innings of work.
Rangers starter Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-1) did not get out of the first inning, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Three of the four runs allowed were unearned as Texas made an error and failed to turn a routine double play that would have limited the damage.
Instead, the Twins scored on a pair of fielder's choices before Juan Centeno's two-run single finished off a four-run first.
Kepler's three-run homer in the second made it 7-1 and Sano capped a four-run third inning with his two-run blast.
The Twins tacked on six more in the fifth on an RBI single by Nunez, a bases loaded walk by Sano, a Brian Dozier sacrifice fly, and Kepler's second three-run homer of the afternoon.
Ryan Rua, Robinson Chirinos and Shin-Soo Choo each homered for Texas; Rua and Chirinos each had a pair of hits.
Dozier went 0-for-3 at the plate, ending his career-long hitting streak at 13 games.
NOTES: The Rangers agreed to terms with 16-year old catcher David Garcia out of Venezuela, the No. 11 ranked player on MLB.com's list of the top-30 international prospects. ... The Twins signed three shortstops from the Dominican Republic on the first day of the international signing period, inking Wander Valdez, Jesus Felix and Stamy Gabriel Urena. ... Twins RHP Trevor May pitched a scoreless inning on Friday and will pitch again on Saturday for Triple-A Rochester. May, who has been on a rehab assignment because of back spasms, could return to the majors next week. ... The Rangers and Twins will wrap up a three-game series at Target Field on Sunday. Texas will send left-hander Cole Hamels (9-1, 2.60 ERA) to the mound against Minnesota right-hander Kyle Gibson (1-5, 5.12 ERA).