Twins' 8-run inning enough to beat Rangers

ARLINGTON -- Despite trading away several key players and losing others such as catcher Jason Castro and designated hitter Logan Morrison to season-ending injuries, the Twins want to see what they have in their young position players the rest of the season.
Rookies Tyler Austin, Mitch Garver and Jake Cave will be counted on heavily down the stretch and came up big as part of an eight-run fifth inning in a 10-7 win over the Rangers on Friday night at Globe Life Park. Austin connected on a leadoff homer, Garver ripped a three-run double and Cave smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in the inning. It was the third time the Twins scored eight runs in an inning this year, as they also did it on April 11 against the Astros and July 8 vs. the Orioles.

"You know this is an offensive ballpark and numbers can go up fairly quickly," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I was disappointed that we fell behind by six. You're hoping to cut into the lead. We were hoping to cut it in half and the next thing you know we have a chance to get back to even and then Jake had the big at-bat there at the end to give us the eight-run inning."
Austin, acquired in the trade that sent Lance Lynn to the Yankees on July 31, got it started with his seventh homer in 16 games with Minnesota. It was a solo shot to right off right-hander Drew Hutchison and was Austin's 15th homer of the year, including his time with New York. He's been taking advantage of seeing regular time at DH in Morrison's absence.

Shortstop Jorge Polanco, making his return after missing three games with tightness in his left hamstring, kept the rally going with a two-run double off the right-center field wall. After loading the bases with one out, Garver roped a bases-clearing double off lefty reliever Matt Moore.
Cave followed with a two-run shot to right to give the Twins the lead. It was Cave's eighth homer in 64 games this season. He's expected to see more time in the outfield with Eddie Rosario expected to be out a week with a right quad strain.

The offense helped make up for a rough start from rookie left-hander Stephen Gonsalves, who gave up six runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings in his third career start. He surrendered a two-run double to Jurickson Profar in the third, keyed by two walks.

"I was just nibbling," Gonsalves said. "I was living fractions off the corner of the plate. I think I need to set up and get that strike one first and then start expanding."
His defense hurt his cause in the fourth, as Joe Mauer misplayed what was ruled an infield RBI single before Polanco made an error on what should've ended the inning. Instead, Nomar Mazara took advantage with a three-run homer off Gonsalves, who has a 9.90 ERA.

"We didn't help him with the defense," Molitor said. "We had a rough night. When you can win a game like that when you commit three errors and passed ball and some other things and overcome that you've got to have a big offensive night to do that. We had a lot of guys contributing."
Garver, who has taken over as the primary catcher since Castro's surgery in early May, added an insurance run with an RBI double in the seventh to give him four RBIs on the night. He later scored on a double-play groundout from Austin.
The bullpen was strong for the Twins with Matt Magill, Gabriel Moya, Trevor May and Taylor Rogers combining for 4 1/3 scoreless innings before Trevor Hildenberger surrendered an unearned run in the ninth.
"Everyone we brought in did a nice job," Molitor said. "Trevor and Rog got a couple big outs for us. Hildy made it interesting, but he got it done."
SOUND SMART
Gonsalves didn't strike out a batter, marking the fourth time this season a Twins starter didn't register a strikeout.

HE SAID IT
"It was a good win. A little crazy. It probably was appropriate that Joe Mauer's T-shirt says, 'You never know what you are going to see when you go to the ballpark.' I think that was appropriate for the ballgame tonight." -- Molitor, on the win.
UP NEXT
Right-hander José Berríos (11-9, 3.74 ERA) will start for the Twins in the second game of the series against the Rangers on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CT. Berrios was dealing with a stomach virus in his last start, but got through five innings, allowing three runs against the A's. Veteran right-hander Yovani Gallardo (7-3, 6.01 ERA) starts for Texas.