Game 90: Twins take first game after All Star break
Minnesota @ Texas (Game 1 of 3)
Glen Perkins and the Twins got off to a rough start after the All Star break but quickly came back to defeat the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to take the first game of the series.
Josh Hamilton put the Rangers on the board in the bottom of the first inning by driving a ball into right field for a 2-run home run. Carlos Gomez, though, would knot the game at two in the top of the second with a two out triple to score both Joe Crede and Brendan Harris.
The Twins would take the lead in the next inning when Jason Kubel sent a ball over the wall in right field for a 3-run home run, his 15th of the year, to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Perkins would keep the lead in check by giving up only a single hit and three strike outs before running into a bit of trouble in the fifth.
Hamilton would come through for the Rangers once again by hitting a two out RBI single to make it 5-3. Perkins would follow by loading the bases by walking Andruw Jones before getting Hank Blalock to ground into a force out to end the scoring threat. Perkins would be taken out of the game after giving up three runs off seven hits with four strike outs and a walk in five complete innings.
The Twins bullpen, which has been shaky during the first half of the season, took control of the game and held the Rangers to a total of two hits over the next four innings while striking out four. Joe Nathan would close the game out for the Twins and pick up his 24th save of the season. The loss would snap a 5-game home winning streak from the Rangers.
Attendance: 34,662 (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)
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