Twins 4 - 3 Rangers
Final
  for this game

Twins' Buxton makes debut, scores winning run vs. Rangers

Jun 15, 2015 - 12:30 AM Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Byron Buxton scored the winning run in his major league debut, crossing the plate on Eddie Rosario's double in the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Buxton, a 21-year-old outfielder seen by many as baseball's top prospect, was called up Sunday from Double-A Chattanooga, where he was hitting .283 with 12 triples, six home runs and 20 stolen bases in 59 games.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick failed to reach base in his first three at-bats, striking out twice. He bunted in the ninth with the go-ahead run at second base after Eduardo Escobar's leadoff double off Shawn Tolleson (1-1).

Escobar was thrown out at third base, but Buxton got a great jump and circled the bases on Rosario's double to the right-center field wall, scoring easily.

"He doesn't show a lot externally. He's a pretty self-controlled kid, which is a pretty good attribute to have," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Buxton. "He was a little anxious trying to see the ball. They got him to chase a few times."

The Twins snapped a five-game losing streak and avoided being swept in the three-game series after giving up 17 runs in the first two games.

Nine of their 11 hits on Sunday went for extra bases, including four triples -- three in the sixth inning alone. Brian Dozier led off the game with a home run and Phil Hughes pitched six innings, giving up three runs on nine hits.

Casey Fien (2-2) followed him with two hitless inning to pick up the win, and Glen Perkins pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save.

Joey Gallo, who made his own anticipated debut earlier this month for Texas, belted his fourth home run in his 11th major league game.

Gallo and Leonys Martin both hit solo homers in the second inning and Rangers starter Nick Martinez went seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits.

Texas left fielder Delino DeShields left the game with an apparent left leg injury after running into the wall on Shane Robinson's second triple of the game in the sixth inning, which scored Eduardo Nunez after he led off the inning with a triple.

Robinson was picked off by catcher Robinson Chirinos before Escobar hit the third triple of the inning, and Escobar was stranded at third when Buxton struck out.

"It's not every day you see three triples in one inning and they only come away with one run," said Rangers manager Jeff Banister.

Dozier hammered a 2-1 fastball into the Twins bullpen behind left-center field for his 13th homer of the season, and Nunez added an RBI double later in the first inning to give the Twins a 2-0 lead.

Gallo and Martin both homered to right-center field to tie the score for the Rangers in the second. Hughes gave up two singles in the inning, but stranded both runners on base.

The Rangers took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning after Hanser Alberto led off with a double, moved to third on DeShields' bunt single and scored when Prince Fielder grounded into a double play.

Game Notes

Minnesota outfielder Torii Hunter finished serving a two-game suspension for his tantrum during a game earlier in the week ... The Twins remain on the road for a three-game series in St. Louis starting Monday ... The Rangers will host the Dodgers for two games on Monday and Tuesday, then go to Los Angeles for two more games there.






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