Twins Turn It Around Against Rangers

Last season the Texas Rangers had no problem with the Minnesota Twins. This season the Twins seem to have the Rangers’ number.

Sean Bergman won his first game in six starts as the Twins defeated the Rangers, 4-3, on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

“I can’t explain it,” said Bergman. “Don’t even ask me to try. It’s just baseball. That’s the beauty of the game.”

Minnesota, which outscored Texas, 24-10, in the series, is 5-1 against the Rangers this season after losing all 12 games last year. The Twins had not swept Texas since July 1998.

“It’s another year,” Manager Johnny Oates said after his club dropped to third place in the West. “You start 0-0. You start all over. Last year doesn’t matter.”

Bergman (3-3) struck out six and gave up seven hits in seven innings, his longest outing of the season, to win for the first time since a 6-1 victory over New York on April 25.

“It was a great feeling,” said Bergman, who entered the game with a 9.93 earned-run average that had him close to being pulled from the Twins’ starting rotation. “I never doubted myself, but they easily could have given up on me.”

LaTroy Hawkins pitched the ninth for his first big league save. He showed little emotion after striking out Jason McDonald for the final out of the game.

“It’s just my first save,” said Hawkins, who spent most of his first three years with the Twins as a starter. “When I get No. 300 maybe I’ll start break-dancing.”

Corey Koskie, who had three runs batted in Saturday night, hit a two-out single in the third inning to drive in two runs as the Twins took a 4-2 lead.

“Two-out hits seem to be a back-breaker for the other team, especially with runners in scoring position,” said Koskie. “I felt it was a pretty big hit in that situation.”

Minnesota won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 20-7. Twin Manager Tom Kelly, who has been critical of his own managing decisions at times this season, was asked if he preferred closer games.

“No,” he laughed. “I’d rather sit there and do nothing. Our best strategy is to keep me out of it.”