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Casilla, Twins top Rangers in the ninth

Jun 10, 2011 - 6:10 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Alexi Casilla drove in Luke Hughes with the game-winning run in the ninth inning, giving the Twins a 5-4 win over the Rangers in the opener of a four-game series.

Hughes opened the ninth with a double down the third-base line off Mark Lowe (1-1). Arthur Rhodes came in with two on and one out and got Ben Revere to fly out before Casilla laced a single to left that knocked in Hughes from second without a play at the plate.

Delmon Young went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and Michael Cuddyer added a three- run shot for the Twins, who have won seven of eight overall and eight straight against the Rangers at Target Field.

"We've got some life, some energy. Everyone's getting on base and swinging the bats well," Cuddyer said. "We're playing good baseball."

Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton each had two hits and a solo home run in the Rangers' third loss in four games.

Both starters gave up four runs in 7 1/3 innings, though two of Nick Blackburn's were unearned. Blackburn allowed 10 hits and a walk for the Twins, while Texas' Derek Holland struck out 10 and gave up eight hits in his outing.

Hamilton hit a mammoth homer into the second deck in right-center in the first inning, and Young, while not as impressive, answered in the second with a leadoff blast to left.

The Twins were the beneficiaries of a blown call in the fifth. Rene Rivera led off the inning with a double, but appeared to get tagged out by Elvis Andrus on Matt Tolbert's dribbler up the middle. Second base umpire Paul Nauert called the runner safe, and the extra out allowed Cuddyer to come up later in the frame with two on and two outs and launch one over the wall in left-center for a 4-1 lead.

Beltre knocked in Hamilton and scored on Mitch Moreland's sacrifice fly in the sixth to get the Rangers within one, and they pulled even in the eighth on one colossal swing, as Cruz completely annihilated Blackburn's 109th pitch and deposited it a dozen rows into the upper deck seats in left-center.

"That might have been the longest one I've seen him hit. He's a strong man," Rangers infielder Michael Young said of his teammate's homer.

The Rangers left the bases loaded in the eighth when Chuck James induced pinch-hitter Mike Napoli into a routine fielder's choice ground ball.

Jim Hoey (1-2) recorded the final two outs of the ninth to earn the win.

Game Notes

Twins center fielder Denard Span was out of the lineup for the fifth time in the last six games due to a neck injury. He was placed on the new seven-day disabled list on Thursday night...Young's homer was his second of the season and first since May 22...The Twins started a 10-game homestand Thursday, while the Rangers opened a 10-game road trip.