MINNEAPOLIS -- Designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo continues to look like All-Star Game material as he extended his on-base streak to 35 straight games in an 8-1 victory over the Twins on Friday night.
Choo had a two-run home run off of Twins starter Fernando Romero in the fifth inning to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. The home run was his 14th of the season, the most he has ever hit before the All-Star break in his career. The home run came after Choo struck out in his first two at-bats.
"Even though I struck out, I didn't lose confidence," Choo said. "I saw six pitches in both at-bats, so I had seen all his pitches and I was able to change my approach."
Choo finished his 2-for-4 night with an RBI single in the ninth. That drove in the first of four runs in the inning and allowed the Rangers to break the game open.
"He has been the man," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Even before we put him back in the leadoff spot, he was relentless in his pursuit of looking to get on base and attacking pitches that he can drive. He is patient when he needs to be and aggressive when he needs to be."
He has nine home runs and 35 walks during his streak as he mounts a strong bid to be selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career.
"I'm not thinking about that," Choo said. "I want to just keep doing what I am doing. It would be great, everybody wants to play in the All-Star Game. We'll see what happens in the next two weeks."
Choo's streak of reaching base in 35 straight games is the second longest in the Major Leagues this season. The longest was Philadelphia's Odubel Herrera with 40 straight. It is the ninth-longest streak in Rangers history, and the longest since Mark Teixeira reached in 36 straight games in 2006.
The club record for one season is 46 straight by Julio Franco in 1993. Will Clark reached in 58 straight games at the end of the 1995 season and beginning of 1996.