Twins seek four-game sweep vs. reeling Rangers

The Minnesota Twins will vie for a sweep of their four-game series against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.

The Twins followed one-run wins on Thursday and Friday by rallying for a 5-2 victory on Saturday.

Picking up a game on the American League Central-leading Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota sits just two games out of first place in the division. The Twins, who hold the league's second wild-card spot, have won five of their last six games overall.

With Minnesota trailing 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning on Saturday, Willi Castro drove in two runs with a single to center field -- and another run scored following a throwing error.

Castro knows what it's going to take for the club to return to the postseason for the second straight year.

"Everybody here trusts everybody," Castro said. "If we play the way we've been playing the past couple of games, we're going to be in a good spot: Our confidence is always going to be there, we're missing a few key guys, and even though we're winning, we will need them."

Now 17 games above .500 for the first time this season, Minnesota is playing without Byron Buxton (right hip inflammation) and Carlos Correa (right plantar fasciitis).

Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (11-8, 4.67 ERA) will look to win his fourth start in five tries when he takes the ball on Sunday. The 28-year-old allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings of an 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Lopez hasn't fared well in three career starts against the Rangers, posting a 0-2 record with a 9.82 ERA.

While Minnesota is ascending, Texas has lost three games in a row and 16 of its last 21.

On Saturday, Texas managed just two extra-base hits, a microcosm of the club's recent offensive struggles. Of the Rangers' 24 hits in this series, 21 have been singles, with the team scoring just seven runs in three games.

"We have a responsibility to come out here and keep trying to win ballgames," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "Granted, it's not going well, but you have to power through this. You have to do all you can. and that's what we're doing."

Following a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox from July 22-25, the Rangers were threatening in the AL West. The defending World Series champions, however, now reside 11 games behind the first-place Houston Astros and are a season-worst 12 games under .500.

Right-hander Tyler Mahle (0-1, 2.79 ERA) will take the mound on Sunday for Texas, making just his third start of the season.

After his season debut on Aug. 6, Mahle went 4 2/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, allowing two earned runs on three hits in his team's 5-4 loss in 10 innings. Mahle started nine games for the Twins from 2022-23. In four career starts against them, he holds a 1-0 record and a 4.58 ERA.

--Field Level Media