Rangers snap 7-game losing streak with 6-5, 10-inning win over Twins
Associated Press | Apr 25, 08 10:31 PM CDT in
Sports
David Murphy hit a 10th-inning RBI single and Texas beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Friday night, snapping the Rangers' seven-game losing streak.
Hank Blalock hit a one-out double against pitcher Juan Rincon (2-1). With two outs and the outfield pulled in, Murphy hit a fly ball to the warning track in left-center field. Pinch-runner German Duran crossed home plate with the winning run, and Murphy was mobbed on the field by his teammates.
Manager Ron Washington, whose job status has been in question with the Rangers (8-16) off to one of their worst starts moving to Texas in 1972, pumped his fist in the air and searched for high-fives in the Rangers dugout.
It didn't start nearly as well for Texas, which fell behind 5-0. Justin Morneau, who has battered Texas pitching, drove in all of the Twins' runs with a third-inning grand slam and an RBI single in the first. Carlos Gomez bunted for a hit to begin each of those innings.
The Rangers had seven consecutive hits to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Josh Hamilton had a two-run single, but Texas ran itself out of the inning when Hank Blalock was thrown out at home trying to score on a double by Jason Botts.
Both starting pitchers, Texas' Kevin Millwood and Minnesota's Nick Blackburn, survived shaky starts and gave up five runs in six innings.
During the last three seasons, Morneau is batting .373 (25-for-67) against Texas, with seven home runs and 23 RBIs.
Joaquin Benoit (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
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