The Rangers kept their division push alive Saturday with a 6-2 win over the Twins in a rain-delayed game, and they did it by turning one big inning into a rout.
Texas is now 80-81, and with the Astros just getting started, the Rangers have given themselves a shot to take the West if they can win again Sunday afternoon. If they do, they’ll at least make sure their playoff ticket comes with an even record.
The damage came fast in the second. Texas put up four runs and, for the first time since 2009, stacked four doubles in the same inning.
Nicky Lopez, Evan Carter, Alejandro Osuna, and Brandon Nimmo all ripped two-baggers as Bailey Ober got shelled. He allowed four of his six earned runs in that frame, along with five of his 10 hits, and all of it happened with two outs and the bases empty.
That was the end of the line for Ober’s 2026 season. He finishes 7-7 with a 4.47 ERA, plus five strikeouts and one walk.
Nathan Eovaldi didn’t have a long outing either, but Minnesota couldn’t do nearly enough with the chances it got. Luke Keaschall doubled and scored in the first, and the Twins didn’t collect another hit off Eovaldi until later.
He left after fewer than five innings, having thrown 71 pitches. Minnesota’s only other run came in the eighth, when Keaschall tripled and scored on a Josh Bell single.
The season is almost done for the Twins, too. Dean Kremer is set to start Game 162 and close the book on 2026. Minnesota sits at 76-85, tied with the Detroit Tigers, and a win Sunday paired with a Tigers loss would leave the Twins alone in third place.
RF Luke Keaschall finished 2-for-3 with two runs, a walk, a double, and a triple.
RP Travis Adams worked two innings, allowing two hits and no runs with a walk and four strikeouts.
DUDS:
1B Royce Lewis went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
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What makes it especially notable is the sheer reach of it all, with those former Twins tied to multiple series and matchups as the playoff schedule unfolds. For a fan base that has watched a lot of arms come and go, this is one of those October snapshots that says as much about organizational churn as it does about the players themselves. The full list stretches well beyond the biggest names, and the spread of destinations makes it clear just how many different contenders are carrying a little bit of Minnesota pitching history with them. [Read more 🡒]