ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Zebby Matthews allowed his only run on a leadoff homer while pitching seven innings for the Minnesota Twins in a 4-1 win Tuesday night over the Texas Rangers, who lost their eighth game in a row and were eliminated from the playoff chase.
The Rangers (79-78) were within two games of the AL West lead on Sept. 13 and in the thick of the wild-card chase after a 13-3 span with a pair of six-game winning streaks. They haven’t won since and dropped to 5 1/2 games behind Houston for the American League’s final playoff spot with five games left.
Joc Pederson´s ninth homer gave Texas the quick lead. Matthews (5-6) allowed only three singles after that and struck out six without a walk while matching the longest of his 25 career starts.
Minnesota (68-89) went ahead after Kody Clemens had a leadoff double in the third and scored on a fielder’s-choice grounder by Byron Buxton, who came home on a single by Ryan Jeffries. Clemens added an RBI single in the sixth.
Patrick Corbin (7-11), the first of six Texas pitchers, allowed two runs on four hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Cole Sands worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Matthews retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced, and the only Texas batter to reach the third time through the order against the 25-year-old right-hander was on an error.
The eight-game losing streak matches the longest for Texas since August of 2023, the season they went on to win their only World Series title.
Jacob deGrom (12-8, 3.01 ERA) will make his 30th start this year for Texas on Wednesday night after the two-time Cy Young Award winner missed most of the past two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. Taj Bradley (6-8, 5.20) starts for Minnesota.
Minnesota Twins’ Austin Martin is chased and thrown out at third by Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka, right, as Martin tried to advance home on a fielders choice by Luke Keaschall in the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers’ Joc Pederson, left, and third base coach Tony Beasley (27) celebrate Pederson’s solo home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Minnesota Twins’ Luke Keaschall steals second as Texas Rangers second baseman Cody Freeman (39) attempts to make the tag in the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
