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Twins try to continue home success over Rangers

Jun 9, 2011 - 3:09 PM (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins try to continue their home mastery of the Texas Rangers this evening when the two teams begin a four-game set at Target Field.

Although the Rangers captured their first-ever American League pennant a year ago, they lost all six games they played in Minnesota. Texas has lost seven in a row in the Twins' ballpark and dropped seven of 10 overall to them last season.

"They're a really good baseball team," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said of the Rangers. "They're about as solid of a baseball team as any in this league."

That run could continue tonight, as the Twins enter this series playing their best baseball of the season. On Wednesday, Ben Revere drove in the decisive run in the top of the 10th inning, after Cleveland's Jack Hannahan homered to tie the game in the ninth, lifting Minnesota to a 3-2 victory over the Indians.

Matt Capps (2-3) entered to close the game in the bottom of the ninth and retired the first two batters he faced, but delivered a fastball to Hannahan down the middle of the zone. Hannahan blasted the pitch over the right-center field fence, making it a 2-2 contest.

But the Twins went back in front with a two-out run of their own. After Drew Butera doubled down the left-field line off Chris Perez (2-2), Revere slapped a single to shallow left-center.

"I was just trying to look for a ball you can drive. Luckily, he threw it belt-high," Revere said. "I put a good swing on it, just found the gap."

Michael Brantley made a strong throw home, but the ball bounced high and Butera slid in safely. In the bottom half, Phil Dumatrait worked around a two- out double by Carlos Santana to record his first career save.

Revere went 3-for-5 with two RBI to help Minnesota win for the sixth time in its last seven games.

Hoping to keep the momentum rolling tonight will be right-hander Nick Blackburn, who has won his last four decisions. Blackburn defeated the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, as he allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, upping his record to 5-4 to go along with a 3.57 ERA.

Blackburn is 1-2 in four starts against the Rangers with a 3.81 ERA.

Texas, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Derek Holland, who tossed a five-hit shutout to beat Cleveland in his last time out. Holland also struck out five in that one, as he improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 4.36.

Holland, who hasn't lost since April 16, is 1-2 lifetime versus the Twins with a 5.94 ERA in four starts.

The Rangers got another terrific outing from Alexi Ogando on Wednesday, as he pitched into the eighth and got plenty of help from his offense to stay perfect on the season, as Texas avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tigers with a 7-3 victory.

Ogando (7-0) gave up one run -- Don Kelly's homer -- and six hits while striking out seven and walking two in 7 2/3 innings. The righty became the first pitcher to win his first seven career decisions as a starter since the Angels' Jered Weaver began the 2006 campaign with a 9-0 record.

"Good pitchers minimize the damage," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He got some people on bags, but he was able to make the pitches when he had to. If you look at the first three innings, I don't think anybody would have thought he'd have made it to the eighth, but he did."

Adrian Beltre went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, Elvis Andrus added three hits, a run scored and another driven in and Josh Hamilton hit a two- run double for Texas, which has won six of its last eight.

Minnesota, which will be starting a nine-game home stand tonight, is a major league worst 6-15 at Target Field this season.