C.J. Cron homered to highlight a six-run first inning, and Miguel Sano had three hits including a two-run home run to lead the Minnesota Twins to their third straight victory, 12-7, over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.

Marwin Gonzalez, Jorge Polanco and Jake Cave also finished with three hits, and Cron and Max Kepler had two hits for the Twins, who finished with 18 hits.

The win increased Minnesota's lead in the American League Central to 2 1/2 games over the Cleveland Indians, who lost earlier Saturday to the New York Yankees.

Tyler Duffey (4-1) picked up his second win in two nights by retiring the only two batters he faced.

Danny Santana had two homers and four RBIs and Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-5 with a double and RBI for Texas, which lost for the ninth time in its last 11 games.

Ariel Jurado (6-9) suffered his third consecutive loss, allowing eight runs (only two earned) on seven hits in two innings.

Minnesota took advantage of an error by Jurado to score six runs in the first. Sano and Polanco both singled with one out, but Jurado looked like he was going to get out of the jam when Eddie Rosario hit a double-play grounder to first baseman Logan Forsythe.

However, the return throw from shortstop Elvis Andrus went off the top of the Jurado's glove as he was covering first for an error to keep the inning alive. Sano scored on the play.

After Mitch Garver followed with a walk, Luis Arraez singled to drive in Rosario. Gonzalez followed with a two-run double to left to make it 4-0.

Cron then hit his 20th homer of the season to extend the lead to 6-0, and he became the sixth Twins' player to hit 20 home runs this season, tying the team record set in 1964.

Santana hit two-run homers in both the first and second inning off Minnesota starter Jose Berrios, and Santana's second homer cut the lead to 8-6.

Garver's RBI single in the eighth extended the Twins' lead to 10-7, and Sano ended the scoring with his 23rd homer of the season in the ninth, a two-run blast to center.

Berrios went 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six.

--Field Level Media