MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Denard Span had two hits, an RBI and made a lunging catch while colliding with Orlando Hudson to end the game and the Minnesota Twins completed a rare three-game sweep with a 6-3 victory over the stumbling Texas Rangers on Sunday night.
The Twins gathered around Hudson in center field and watched quietly while trainers attended to him. After several minutes, he got up and walked off under his own power.
Scott Baker (5-4) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings for the Twins, who recorded just their second sweep of the season in eight tries. Jason Kubel added two hits and two RBIs.
Rangers starter Derek Holland (2-1) left with no outs in the second inning because of soreness in his left shoulder. Texas lost its fourth straight game and put slugger Nelson Cruz on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
The Rangers were seven games over .500 just over a week ago, holding a surprising four-game lead in the AL West. But after getting swept by the Central-leading Twins, the Rangers have dropped six of their last seven and now trail Oakland by a half-game.
Michael Young had two doubles and an RBI for the Rangers, but Vladimir Guerrero flew out with two runners on in the ninth to end the game and give Jon Rauch his 12th save in 14 tries.
It was an odd start for Holland, who seemed uncomfortable from the first pitch. He got Span to fly out to start the first inning, but then drew a mound visit from team trainers to check on him. The lefty remained in the game, giving up an RBI-double to Joe Mauer.
He walked Delmon Young and J.J. Hardy to start the second inning, then gave up an RBI-single to Nick Punto.
Pitching coach Mike Maddux went out to see Holland again, and he motioned to the trainers to return to the mound. Holland left the game, shaking his head and throwing his hands up as he walked to the dugout and Matt Harrison was rushed into duty.
Span followed with an RBI-single to make it 3-0.
Baker wasn't exactly sharp himself, but he was able to avoid the big inning. The Rangers loaded the bases with one out in the second inning only to see Baker strikeout Julio Borbon and get Elvis Andrus to groundout to third base to escape unscathed.
Guerrero's RBI-single and Josh Hamilton's sacrifice fly put two on the board for the Rangers in the third, but Harrison gave those right back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Kubel and a sacrifice fly from Delmon Young to make it 5-2.
The Rangers get a day off before three road games against the Chicago White Sox. They will have to get on track without Cruz, who is hitting .327 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs.
NOTES: With Cruz out, Ron Washington said Guerrero will get even more time in the outfield when the Rangers go on a nine-game interleague road trip starting June 11. "Vlad is going to play out there, but he's not going to play nine straight," he said. ... Michael Young made a brilliant play at 3B in the sixth, backhanding a chopper from J.J. Hardy near the outfield grass and firing a one-hop strike to 1B to get the out.
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