Twins 5, Rangers 3: Friends in Low Places

In front of a packed house of 30,957 for a combination Memorial Day weekend contest AND Jhoan Duran Bobblehead Day, the Twins pulled off a late reversal of fortune to steal a 5-3 win from the Texas Rangers.

With momentum on their side from the Friday night win, Minnesota scored early with a bases-loaded walk in a stressful first inning for Ranger pitching.

The Rangers would strike back in the fourth, with an Adolis Garcia automatic double plating Corey Seager, who had singled his way on earlier. And although lefty Funderburk was warming in advance of the third time through the order, it was righty Ezequiel Duran's second-deck shot that gave Texas a 2-1 lead one frame later.

That would be Paddack's last inning; although the pitch count was favorable, the matchups perhaps weren't, particularly with the Sheriff on the rebound from eight innings chucked in Cleveland.

So onto the Magical Arm Barn went manager Rocco Baldelli for the middle innings. With a man on and two outs in Funderburk's first inning, Leody Taveras ripped one into right. Max Kepler -- playing in his 1000th game with the team and having already made a leaping catch -- couldn't quite run it down, making it 3-1 Rangers on an RBI double.

Then, a truly bizarre seventh-inning stretch. After the conclusion of baseball's anthem, a mid-inning injury delay occurred in which Texas starter Michael Lorenzen was allowed to wander about the infield on his own time for around five minutes, throw a couple of warmup tosses, then leave the game.

His replacement, Jesus Tinoco, was maybe as bemused as color man Justin Morneau and the fans, and walked his first two hitters.

After a Willi Castro strikeout sent in veteran David Robertson, leadoff man Edouard Julien engaged in controversial foul-tippagery that sent both managers out of the dugout and led to Bruce Bochy's ejection. Then, more controversy; Carlos Correa brought home a run with a sac fly -- then, a Jose Miranda single, during which Turbo Tommy Watkins got his second runner thrown out at home in as many games.

The call "stood" after review.

It wouldn't matter.

It was probably a favor from Kirilloff to closer Duran, who received a rocking ovation as he entered into the ninth on his bobblehead day. Duran was on the receiving end of a couple 3-1 putouts, then struck out Jonah Heim with his signature cheese — 100.3 swinging, 99.8 swinging, 100.6 swinging — to cap off the comeback.

With their fourth straight win in tow, the Twins will go for a morale-boosting sweep of the Rangers tomorrow afternoon. It would be a major statement for the streaky club, who needed the ship righted immediately after their worst week of the year. As it stands, the 28-23 Twins are still 6 back, but this early into the season — it is still early — all that matters is that Minnesota is playing winning baseball.

STUDS:

RP Cole Sands (2 IP, 0 R, 2 K)

3B Jose Miranda (2-for-4)

DH Alex Kirilloff (2-for-4-, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR)

DUDS:

NO DUDS! TWINS WIN!