MINNEAPOLIS, June 9 (UPI) -- A two-out single by Alexi Casilla brought in Luke Hughes from second in the ninth inning Thursday, giving the Minnesota Twins a 5-4 win over Texas.
The Twins let a 4-1 lead get away and escaped a major jam in the eighth before handing the Western Division-leading Rangers their third loss in four games.
Hughes led off the ninth with a ground-rule double against Mark Lowe (1-1), who then retired a batter before walking Matt Tolbert.
Arthur Rhodes came in to replace Lowe and got Ben Revere on a fly ball to left. Casilla, however, came through with a single to left on a 2-1 pitch that gave the Twins their second straight win.
Jim Hoey (1-2) recorded the last two outs in the top of the ninth to get the win.
Michael Cuddyer put the Twins in front in the fifth with a three-run homer that snapped a 1-1 tie. Texas cut its deficit to 4-3 in the sixth and then tied it in the eighth on a solo shot by Nelson Cruz, his 15th home run of the season.
The Rangers went on to load the bases in the eighth and threatened to break the game open before Chuck James got Mike Napoli on a fielder's choice grounder to end the inning.
