Jorge Polanco cleared the bases with a tiebreaking triple in the eighth inning, lifting the Twins to their first-ever four-game sweep of the Rangers with a 6-3 victory Sunday.
By finishing its first four-game sweep since the end of last season, Minnesota maintained a 2½-game lead over the Indians in the AL Central. The Twins went 5-1 on a trip that started with them a half-game behind after Cleveland beat Boston while they had a day off.
Shin-Soo Choo connected for his 20th homer off onetime Texas closer Sam Dyson to get the Rangers even in the seventh, preventing left-hander Martín Pérez from beating his former team for the second time in two starts after spending his first seven seasons with the Rangers.
Dyson (5-1) escaped the seventh despite allowing two singles after Choo’s blast, Sergio Romo pitched around an error in the eighth and Taylor Rogers struck out Rougned Odor looking as the potential tying run in the ninth for his 19th save in 25 chances.
The temperature was 95 degrees at first pitch and reached 100 by the middle innings. Minnesota leadoff hitter and center fielder Max Kepler left the game in the seventh inning because of heat illness. The game lasted 3 hours, 49 minutes.
