Buxton Blasts 479-Foot Homer as Twins Top Rangers 6-2

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Byron Buxton put on a show Wednesday night, smashing a 479-foot three-run homer — the second-longest in the majors this season — to help lift the Minnesota Twins to a 6-2 win over the Texas Rangers.

Buxton’s towering shot to center off Texas starter Jack Leiter (4-3) in the third inning was the longest of his career and gave the Twins a 3-2 lead. Only Mike Trout has hit a longer home run this season, a 484-footer for the Angels back in April.

But Buxton’s bat wasn’t the only highlight. Moments before his mammoth blast, he made a game-changing diving catch in left-center, robbing Marcus Semien of a hit with two runners on base to end the top of the third. The crowd at Target Field gave him a well-earned standing ovation.

Buxton finished the night 3-for-4 with a stolen base, while Willi Castro added a two-run triple in the fifth. Castro later scored on Carlos Correa’s ground-rule double, padding Minnesota’s lead.

Twins right-hander David Festa (1-1) turned in a strong outing, giving up two runs on three hits over six innings — tying the longest start of his young career.

Leiter struggled in his outing for Texas, surrendering four runs on five hits and four walks over four innings. The Rangers got early offense from Semien, who homered in the second, and Josh Smith, who doubled in a run in the third.

In addition to Buxton’s heroics, a few other Twins stayed hot at the plate. Ty France extended his on-base streak to a career-best 22 games with a fifth-inning single, while Brooks Lee pushed his hitting streak to 11 games with a double in the third.

Next Up:
The series wraps up Thursday, with Texas sending lefty Patrick Corbin (3-5, 3.52 ERA) to the mound, still seeking his first win in nearly a month. Minnesota will counter with right-hander Bailey Ober (4-2, 3.78), who looks to rebound after a rough outing in his last start.