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Minnesota Twins: Phil Hughes Is The Outlaw The Rangers Can’t Catch

By Jackson Bruce |
Apr 24, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes (45) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes (45) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins have played very well against the Texas Rangers the past two seasons. Starter Phil Hughes has dominated them throughout his career.

The Minnesota Twins have had success against the Texas Rangers in recent years. In 2016, they had a record of 5-2 against the American League West Champions, and a 3-3 record the year before that. One pitcher has had incredible success throughout his career against Texas and his name is Phil Hughes.

Hughes is in his eleventh MLB season, his fourth with the Twins. His previous seven seasons were played as a member of the Yankees, where he was an All Star and World Champion. Throughout his career, he has played in the American League which has given him plenty of opportunities to play the Rangers.

After Monday’s start against the Rangers, Hughes is 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA in ten appearances (nine starts) against Texas. In those ten appearances, he has pitched 58.1 innings and struck out 35 batters. The only team he has a lower ERA against is the Chicago White Sox.

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Hughes is not the only one who has had success against the Rangers. The Twins as a whole hit the Rangers often in 2016, averaging 8.86 runs per game in their seven meetings with them. That’s their best runs per game average against a single opponent in a season since they put up 8.67 runs per game against Milwaukee in 2006.

The Twins will look to improve on their success against the Rangers in this series. They started out on the right foot on Monday, winning 3-2 behind a solid start by Hughes. He went six innings and gave up only two runs on six hits while striking out two.

The way Hughes has pitched against Texas, he was the right man to start the series against a foe they have succeeded against recently. Brian Dozier helped the cause with a three-run double, which proved to be the game winner.

The Rest of the Season Series Could Be in Favor of the Twins

The next two days could be a continuation of the recent success. Lights-out ace Ervin Santana pitches for the Twins Tuesday and steady second starter Hector Santiago pitches Wednesday. With the two hottest pitchers on the staff taking the mound and the Twins offense that has played well against Texas, this could be a fun series for Twins fans to watch.

Next: Who's Hot and Who's Not For the Twins, Week 3

While the Twins themselves have had success against the Rangers, the success Hughes has had against them throughout his career should not be overlooked. Hopefully Hughes is available for one of the games in August when Texas makes a stop at Target Field.

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