Ranger Bullpen Can’t Hold Lead

The Texas bullpen has picked the wrong time for a meltdown.

Trailing the Angels by 1 1/2 games in the AL West before Saturday, the Rangers gave up four runs on six hits in the final two innings of a 7-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Terry Steinbach hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth against John Wetteland to give the Twins the victory. That overcame Juan Gonzalez’s 40th home run.

The Rangers have wasted three-run leads in three of their last four losses, and the bullpen has dropped six of its last seven decisions, including three in a row.

“Any reliever knows he’s only as good as his last outing,” said Wetteland, brought into a tie game for one of the few times this season. “Right now I’m terrible. It’s hard to swallow when it happens in May, but here the magnitude is much greater.”

The Rangers led, 4-2, going into the eighth. But Brent Gates hit an RBI double against Todd Stottlemyre and Ron Coomer tied the score with a run-scoring infield single against Xavier Hernandez (6-4).

Minnesota loaded the bases with two outs against Hernandez on two singles and a walk, and Steinbach greeted Wetteland with a drive off the right-field fence on a 1-0 pitch. Matt Lawton added an RBI groundout in the ninth against Tony Fossas.

“When I didn’t throw a strike on the first pitch, my hands were tied because the bases were loaded,” Wetteland said. “And he did a good job staying within himself and not trying to hit it 900 feet.”

Ranger Manager Johnny Oates said he still has confidence in his bullpen despite the recent problems.

“We’ve blown our share of leads in the eighth and ninth this year, but overall we’ve done a good job,” Oates said. “I’ll match our guys against anybody as far as getting the job done.”

Mike Trombley (5-4) pitched 1 2/3 innings, and Rick Aguilera got three outs for his 35th save in 43 chances. Otis Nixon went four for five for the Twins.

Gonzalez became the 12th player to reach 40 homers five times, hitting a solo shot in the third that raised his major league-leading RBI total to 147. He has hit 40 or more homers in three consecutive seasons.