Yohander Mendez earned his first major league win and Nomar Mazara hit two of the Texas Rangers’ six homers in an 18-4 rout of the Minnesota Twins.
Mendez (1-1) allowed three hits and one walk while striking out two in six scoreless innings. He was making his second major league start in a season when he was a combined 2-10 with the Rangers’ top three farm teams.
He got more than enough support. Mazara hit a two-run homer in a nine-run sixth inning and a solo homer in a five-run eighth as the Rangers pounded 12 extra-base hits, tying a team record set in 1986. Texas last hit six homers in a game on April 17, 2012, at Boston.
Jake Cave hit his third homer in three games into the right-field seats in the eighth inning against Eddie Butler, who finished the game for his second save.
Chris Gimenez moved from first base to the mound in the eighth and allowed five runs, including homers by Mazara and Drew Robinson. Gimenez himself hit a two-run homer in the ninth.
