The Twins pounded out 20 hits in a 15-6 win over the Rangers Friday night at Target Field, and they slugged another four homers in the process to set the MLB record for most home runs by a team before the All-Star break.
Luis Arraez, Jorge Polanco, Jonathan Schoop and Mitch Garver all went deep to push Minnesota’s total to 165 home runs, just one shy of last year’s total for the entire season.
The previous pre-All-Star break home run total record was 161, set by the Yankees way back in last year. The Twins are on pace to club 307 homers and they’re just 60 homers shy of tying the single-season franchise record of 225. The MLB single-season record is 267.
Of Minnesota’s 20 hits, four were homers and nine were doubles as Schoop, C.J. Cron and Byron Buxton all had two doubles. The nine doubles is the most in a game since the Twins moved to Minnesota in 1961, and the 13 extra-base hits ties the team’s single-game record.
The Twins rank first in the majors in homers (165), second in doubles (185), first in slugging percentage (.500) and first in OPS (.837).
Minnesota hosts Texas Saturday and Sunday before the All-Star break arrives Monday.
