Rangers at Twins
The Texas Rangers still hold out hope they can surge toward an American League wild-card spot and have a chance to put another team behind them when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. The Rangers have won three of their last four contests after taking two of the first three in series, capped by Saturday’s 4-1 triumph that pulled them into a virtual tie with Minnesota and four games out of the second wild-card.
Elvis Andrus is playing a big role in the Texas uprising by going 11-for-25 during a six-game hitting streak and Nomar Mazara has hit safely in five straight after belting a two-run homer in the first inning of Saturday’s victory. Nick Martinez will try to rebound from a rough outing when he takes the mound for the Rangers against Minnesota’s promising right-hander Jose Berrios. The Twins have faded seven games behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central thanks to a 7-13 record since the All-Star break and managed just four hits in Saturday’s setback. Joe Mauer will likely be back in the lineup for Minnesota on Sunday after sitting out one game, but All-Star slugger Miguel Sano is still day-to-day after getting hit on the left hand by a pitch Friday.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Nick Martinez (3-4, 5.07 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jose Berrios (9-5, 3.57)
Martinez was pounded for seven runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings by Seattle on Tuesday after being recalled to replace the traded Yu Darvish. The 27-year Fordham product went 2-0 while yielding seven runs over 17 1/3 innings in a three-start stretch in June but is winless in three outings since. Sano is 3-for-3 with two homers versus Martinez, who gave up 10 runs (seven earned) in two starts - including four homers - over 10 2/3 innings the last time he faced the Twins in 2015.
Berrios lost each of his last two starts but limited San Diego to one run on two hits over seven innings Monday in a 3-0 loss. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican began the season 7-1 with a 2.67 ERA in his first eight starts but has gone 2-4 with a 4.91 mark in seven outings since. Berrios meets the Rangers for the first time in his career and is 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA at home this season, as opposed to 4-4, 4.38 on the road.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mauer boasts 1,917 career hits with Minnesota and needs one to pass Tony Oliva for third on the Twins’ all-time list.
2. Texas CF Carlos Gomez did not start Saturday but scored a run, and he has hit safely in his last eight starts (9-for-27).
3. Minnesota sent OF Zack Granite to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Saturday’s starter RHP Kyle Gibson.