Rangers continue mastery of Twins

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Like the entire Texas Rangers team, Esteban Loaiza might be headed back in the right direction.

Loaiza pitched six innings and won for the first time in five starts as the Rangers, who have won three of four after a nine-game losing streak, beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 Wednesday night.

''This helps a lot, not just for me but the whole team,'' Loaiza said. ''Everybody has their heads up and they're talking and being the way they used to. We had a bad road trip, now we are coming back.''

The Rangers have won both games at home since their worst road trip in 14 years. They went 1-8, dropping the two-time defending AL West champions into last place.

Loaiza (4-5), 0-3 with a no decision in his previous four starts, allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings, beating Minnesota for the fourth straight time, three against Brad Radke (4-9).

John Wetteland allowed one run in the ninth, on Matt Lawton's infield RBI single after Cristian Guzman's major league-leading 12th triple, before recording his 18th save in 22 opportunities.

Texas went ahead to stay in the fifth when Dave Martinez snapped an 0-for-20 slump and a 3-3 tie with a two-run double, on a hard-hit grounder that ricocheted off the foot of Minnesota shortstop Cristian Guzman into the outfield.

''I knew I hit it pretty hard, but I thought it was going to be one of those right-at-them hits. I'll take a hit like that any day,'' Martinez said.

Martinez was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple, but only after Rafael Palmeiro and David Segui scored. His slump began after he went 5-for-9 after being acquired by Texas from the Chicago Cubs in a three-team trade June 9.

Radke, 2-8 in his career against Texas, allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.

The Rangers got an unearned run in the sixth off Bob Wells, who set an AL record for a pitcher with four fielding chances in an inning. He made two errors -- half of the four by Minnesota -- and had assists on the only two outs he recorded.

Wells dropped an infield popup by Gabe Kapler, the first batter he faced. While he got the next two batters on 1-3 groundouts, he also threw a ball into center field while trying to pick off Kapler at second with nobody covering. Wells was pulled after an RBI single by Ivan Rodriguez.

''I wasn't a pretty thing out there. They were my mistakes, I screwed up,'' Wells said.

The Rangers benefitted from another error in the eighth. Royce Clayton was credited with a stolen base after he was almost picked off and first baseman Butch Huskey made a bad throw. Rusty Greer then hit an RBI single.

''We had a rough night, too many mistakes in the field,'' said Minnesota manager Tom Kelly, bearing the phrase ''WHATTA JOKE'' on the T-shirt he wore after the game. ''We can't give that team, or any other team, that kind of help and expect to win.''

MINNESOTA TEXAS

ab r h bi ab r h bi

JJones cf 5 0 1 0 Alicea 2b 5 0 1 0

CGzmn ss 5 1 2 0 Greer lf 4 0 2 1

Lawton lf 4 2 1 1 IRdrgz c 5 0 1 1

DOrtiz dh 5 0 1 1 RPlmo 1b 3 1 0 0

Huskey 1b 5 0 2 1 Segui dh 4 3 3 0

Cmngs rf 4 1 1 0 DMrtnz rf 3 0 1 2

Cnizaro 2b 4 0 2 0 Curtis ph 0 0 0 0

Koskie 3b 3 1 2 2 SGreen rf 0 0 0 0

Jensen c 3 0 0 0 Lamb 3b 4 0 1 1

Coomer ph 1 0 0 0 Kapler cf 3 2 0 0

Moeller c 0 0 0 0 Clayton ss 3 1 2 1

Totals 39 5 12 5 Totals 34 7 11 6

Minnesota 011 011 001 -- 5

Texas 010 221 01x -- 7

E--CGuzman (8), Huskey (2), BWells 2 (2), Lamb (9), Clayton (8). LOB--Minnesota 9, Texas 8. 2B--DOrtiz (11), Huskey 2 (10), Cummings (6), Greer (9), Segui 2 (21), DMartinez (6), Lamb (16). 3B--CGuzman (12). HR--Koskie (2). CS--SGreen (2), Clayton (3). S--Clayton.

IP H R ER BB SO

Minnesota

Radke L,4-9 5 8 5 3 2 2

BWells 2-3 1 1 0 1 0

TEMiller 1 1-3 0 0 0 1 3

Carrasco 1-3 1 1 0 0 0

Guardado 2-3 1 0 0 0 1

Texas

Loaiza W,4-5 6 8 4 3 2 3

Venafro 1 2-3 2 0 0 0 2

JRZimmermn 1-3 0 0 0 0 0

Wetteland S,18 1 2 1 1 0 1

Umpires--Home, Winters; First, Welke, Bill; Second, Culbreth; Third, Froemming.

T--3:14. A--28,135 (49,166).