Carlos Santana's three-run homer powers Twins to narrow win over Rangers

Jhoan Duran picked up his 18th save of the season in the victory.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (30) follows through on a three-run home run during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Aug. 16, 2024. / Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning that lifted the Twins to another narrow victory, beating the Texas Rangers 4-3 Friday night in at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. 

Tied 1-1 in the fifth inning, Ryan Jeffers was hit by a pitch from Rangers starter Andrew Heaney. Heaney struck out Edouard Julien — recently called up and playing his first game with the Twins since July 24 — before giving up a single to Manny Margot. Then Santana hit a 404-foot bomb to left-center field to give the Twins a 4-1 lead that was enough of a cushion to pull out the win.

Santana also drove in the go-ahead run in Thursday night’s win over the Rangers. 

The Rangers (56-67) made things interesting late when Caleb Thielbar came on in relief of Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson in the sixth inning. Thielbar got the first two outs before allowing a single to Nathaniel Lowe. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli then turned to Cole Sands, who allowed back-to-back singles to Josh Jung and Wyatt Langford, the latter bringing in Lowe to make it 4-3.

Sands came back out for the seventh inning and gave up a single to Leody Taveras, and while he was caught stealing second on a great throw from Jeffers to Julien, he allowed Marcus Semien to reach when he failed to tag first base on a ground ball, resulting in an error. Steven Okert then came on in relief and struck out Corey Seager before getting former Twins Robbie Grossman to line out.

Griffin Jax pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Jhoan Duran fanned two in a scoreless ninth to pick up his 18th save of the season. Duran also picked up the save in Thursday's win over the Rangers.

The Rangers got within 4-2 on Semien’s 359-foot solo homer in the fifth inning, one of just three hits and two runs Woods Richardson allowed across five innings of work for the Twins (69-53). Woods Richardson also fanned one in his start and improved to 4-3 on the season with the win.

Woods Richardson found himself in a bit of trouble in the second inning after allowing a leadoff single to Adolis Garcia. He then issued a walk to Lowe, and while he got Jung to fly out, his flyout advanced Garcia to third, and Garcia then came home on Langford’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Rangers lead.

Jeffers knotted things up for the Twins with a leadoff, 356-foot homer in the third inning. That was Jeffers’ team-leading 18th home run of the season. Santana’s homer was his 17th of the year.

The Twins and Rangers meet for the third of their four-game series at 6:05 p.m. Saturday.