ARLINGTON – When Josh Bell gets hot, he punishes baseballs like few hitters in the game. And if you want to know when Bell is about to get hot, just take a look at the schedule.
If he’s coming home, look out.
Bell, a Dallas-area man to the core, always hits when he comes to Arlington. And he did it again on Monday, crushing a three-run first-inning homer that sent the Twins on their way to a 4-2 win against the Rangers in the opener of a three-game series. He also singled, raising his career batting average in Arlington to .372.
Austin Martin led off the game for Minnesota with a double, but it looked like he might be stranded after Byron Buxton struck out and Kody Clemens popped up. Royce Lewis extended the inning with a walk, bringing up Bell.
He took a first-pitch sinker from Mackenzie Gore that was well outside the zone, then took a fastball on the inside corner that he unsuccessfully challenged. On the 1-1, Gore threw a pretty-well located curveball at the bottom inside corner of the zone, and Bell punished it, driving it a Statcast-projected 376 feet into the seats in left for his eighth homer of the season.
For Bell, a famously streaky hitter, it was not only a continuation of his success at home, but also an extension of a recent surge. He’s had a hit in seven straight starts, with three homers and a double in that span.
Mike Paredes and a string of relievers made the early lead stand up, and Byron Buxton added his 23rd homer of the year, as Minnesota won for the third time in four games.