Rangers recap: Bullpen falters late as Twins rally late for walkoff win in opener

The Rangers’ bullpen failed to hold a two-run lead in the eighth inning Tuesday and the Minnesota Twins walked off with a 3-2 win in the series opener at Target Field.

Pitching: Yovani Gallardo retired 11 consecutive batters between the first and fifth innings. Eddie Rosario’s infield single to short snapped the string in the fifth but Gallardo picked him off first base and after a walk forced his eighth ground ball out in the game. Gallardo had two outs in the sixth, including an excellent barehanded pick up on a slow roller by a charging Adrian Beltre at third, before walking Joe Mauer on his 100th pitch. He was replaced by Sam Dyson, who had runners on the corners after a single to right by Miguel Sano. Dyson, however forced a ground out to short to end the threat and preserve the 2-0 lead. Keone Kela, up from Double A Frisco before the game, pitched a perfect seventh. Left-hander Jake Diekman, who has been stellar since coming from the Phillies in the Cole Hamels trade, started the eighth by walking Eduardo Escobar. Escobar moved to second on a passed ball. After two fly outs to center, including a spectacular, long running catch by Delino DeShields near the warning track for the second out, Mauer doubled to left-center, scoring Escobar. Diekman stayed in to face right-hitting Miguel Sano, who is hitting .176 against lefties in brief short major league career. But Sano belted a double high off the wall in right to tie the game at 2-2. Spencer Patton replaced Diekman and struck out Trevor Plouffe to end the inning. Patton remained in the game in the ninth and recorded two quick outs before walking Kurt Suzuki. Suzuki scored the game-winner on Escobar’s double to the right corner.

Hitting: Elvis Andrus put Texas on top with a two-run homer in the second after Josh Hamilton had singled. It’s Andrus’ fifth homer this season. In the third, Delino DeShields and Prince Fielder singled but Twins starter Kyle Gibson struck out the side, including Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland to end the inning. The Rangers had a runner on with one out in the fourth and sixth innings but the bottom of the order failed to move them around.

Notable: Fielder regained the major league with his 45th multi-hit game ... it was the Twins’ sixth walk-off win this season.

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 1:41 AM with the headline "Rangers recap: Bullpen falters late as Twins rally late for walkoff win in opener."