Minnesota Twins Shutout By The Texas Rangers

Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

They’ve turned. A day that started off so well and care free by showing off some new Peanuts statues turned sour for the St. Paul native Joe Mauer when he went to his job. It was the eighth inning with two outs, Eduardo Escobar had advanced to third on a ball that went past the Texas Rangers catcher and all Joe Mauer had to do was get a ball to land in the outfield grass to tie up the ballgame. Instead the deciding ball landed in the glove of the catcher for a strikeout. Mauer had some walk-back music to the sound of boos trickling down from the stands of Target Field.

The Twins never did score a run in the ballgame. Maybe that’s what happens when three shortstops are hitting consecutively in a lineup. Manager Ron Gardenhire scratched his infielders in the outfield itch again putting Danny Santana in centerfield.

The lack of a run squandered a good outing by starter Kyle Gibson who gave up six hits in six shutout innings of work with four strikeouts. Gibson’s replacement, Jared Burton, surrendered the Texas run via a Luis Sardinas RBI single in the seventh giving Texas the 1-0 win.

That’s the only scoring of the ballgame for either team. The three-hour plus game saw only one run on 14 hits. It wasn’t exactly a pitcher’s duel, because a pitcher’s duel is much more exciting. Rangers starter Joe Saunders only went five innings giving up five hits, two walks and striking out five in his Target Field start.

The only real excitement in the ballgame was when Elvis Andrus was ejected by the home plate umpire in the sixth inning when Andrus was running past him back to the dugout. That was the excitement.

Caleb Thielbar and Matt Guerrier both also pitched for the Twins on Wednesday.

Eduardo Nunez and Brian Dozier both doubled in the ballgame.