MINNEAPOLIS _ Eddie Rosario wasn't even added to the Twins roster until an hour before first pitch on Sunday. Seems like everything about Rosario took a little longer than usual.
The second-year outfielder, recalled from Class AAA Rochester in case a roster move was necessary, grounded into what appeared to be an inning-ending, rally-killing double play in the fifth inning. But the Twins challenged the call at first base, and replay proved that Rosario's foot made contact with the base a split-second before the baseball arrived, a judgment that allowed what turned out to be the decisive run to score in the Twins' 5-4 victory over Texas at Target Field.
On a day full of roster shuffling, the Twins found the right combination to do something that no American League team had done this year: beat Cole Hamels. The Rangers' left-hander, now 9-2 on the season and previously unbeaten since the Pirates got him in an interleague game on May 27, was hardly the All-Star starter the Twins had heard about. Hamels put a runner on base in all five innings he appeared, allowed a season-high 10 hits and was saved only by some unfortunate baserunning on the Twins' part from giving up more than five runs.
Brian Dozier tripled home two runs in the third inning, and Robbie Grossman singled him home, giving the Twins an early lead on the Texas ace. In the fourth, the Twins managed three hits and a stolen base, but failed to score because two runners were thrown out at the plate. Kurt Suzuki, who had singled, tried to score from first base on Rosario's double, but was tagged out as he tried to lunge around catcher Bobby Wilson's glove. Moments later, Rosario was tagged out too, when he tried to score on Danny Santana's hard grounder to shortstop Jurickson Profar.
But the Twins simply mounted another rally in the fifth inning, finally knocking Hamels out after back-to-back walks to Miguel Sano and Dozier, and back-to-back singles by Grossman and Max Kepler.
That gave the Twins five runs, and Kyle Gibson and the bullpen made it stand up, though not without a few anxious moments. After two quick outs in the seventh inning, Elvis Andrus appeared to end the inning on a ground ball to Sano. But his throw sailed high, and Gibson walked Profar, ending his day with runners on base.
When Ryan Pressly walked pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland and then allowed a two-run double to Shin-Soo Choo, the Rangers were within one run. But Pressly worked out of trouble by getting Ian Desmond to ground out _ Sano bobbled this one, but made the play _ and Fernando Abad and Brandon Kintzler pitched the final two innings.
Kintzler's fourth save wasn't without drama. After retiring the first two batters, he allowed a Robinson Chirinos double to the wall in right-center. Choo, who led off the game with a home run, then ended it with a hard grounder to Dozier, who bobbled it, grabbed it, and threw him out just in time.
