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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Dave Martinez picked the right time to
snap his 0-for-20 slump with the Texas Rangers.
Martinez delivered a two-run double in the fifth inning as the
Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 Wednesday night. It was their
third victory in four games after a nine-game losing streak.
Martinez's double in the fifth, on a hard-hit grounder that
ricocheted off the foot of Minnesota shortstop Cristian Guzman into
the outfield, snapped a 3-3 tie and put the Rangers ahead for good.
"I knew I hit it pretty hard, but I thought it was going to be
one of those right-at-them hits. When I saw it hit his shoe, I was
happy ... I'll take a hit like that any day," Martinez said. "It
feels real good, but it feels a lot better to win two in a row."
Martinez was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple,
but only after Rafael Palmeiro and David Segui scored. Martinez's
slump began after he went 5-for-9 after being acquired by Texas
from the Chicago Cubs in a three-team trade June 9.
"It will maybe relax him a little bit," Texas manager Johnny
Oates said. "He's just getting too deep in the count a little bit,
getting behind in the count and making it tough. But he hit the
ball well. Thank goodness Guzman couldn't come up with it."
Esteban Loaiza (4-5) pitched six innings and won for the first
time in five starts. He has won four straight against the Twins,
three against Brad Radke (4-9).
John Wetteland allowed one run in the ninth before recording his
18th save in 22 opportunities.
Bob Wells, Radke's replacement an inning later, set an American
League record for a pitcher with four fielding chances in an
inning. He made two errors and had assists on the only two outs he
recorded.
Wells had half of the four Minnesota errors, which led to three
unearned runs.
"We had a rough night, too many mistakes in the field," said
Minnesota manager Tom Kelly, who during his postgame interview
sported a T-shirt bearing the phrase "WHATTA JOKE."
"We can't give that team, or any other team, that kind of help
and expect to win."
Wells dropped the infield popup by Gabe Kapler, the first batter
he faced. While he got the next two batters on 1-3 groundouts, he
also threw a ball into center field while trying to pick off Kapler
at second with nobody covering. Wells was then pulled after a walk
and RBI single by Ivan Rodriguez.
Radke, 2-8 in his career against Texas, allowed five runs on
eight hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Loaiza, 0-3 with a no-decision in his previous four starts,
allowed four runs on eight hits in his six innings. He struck out
three and walked two.
Corey Koskie, 13-for-26 (.500) against the Rangers this season,
hit a solo homer off Loaiza in the sixth. He also hit an RBI single
in the second.
Segui also scored the first two Texas runs, both after he
reached with a double.
After his double in the second, Segui scored on Mike Lamb's RBI
double. Segui led off the fourth with another double and scored
when Guzman made a throwing error on Kapler's grounder that would
have ended the inning. Royce Clayton followed with an RBI single to
make it 3-2.
Minnesota quickly got back even with an unearned run in the
fifth. Matt Lawton hit an apparent double-play ball, but Clayton
made an errant throw to first after getting the first out. David
Ortiz followed with an RBI double.
Rusty Greer added an RBI single in the eighth to give the
Rangers a 7-4 lead.
Guzman hit his major league-leading 13th triple, and scored on
Lawton's RBI infield single off Wetteland in the ninth to make it
7-5.
Game notes
The game was played without delay in an on-and-off light
rain. ... Martinez was 5-for-32 lifetime against Radke before his
fifth-inning double. ... Loaiza has allowed 22 earned runs over his
last 24 1-3 innings pitched. ... Twins 3B Ron Coomer, out of the
starting lineup for the second straight game after minor foot
surgery Monday, came on as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He flew
out for the third out with two runners on base. ... Ortiz was
ejected by plate umpire Mike Winters with two outs in the ninth for
arguing balls and strikes.
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