ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — Byron Buxton launched two home runs, including a decisive three-run shot in the eighth inning, and Bailey Ober combined with three relievers on a three-hit shutout as the Minnesota Twins blanked the Texas Rangers 4-0 on Thursday evening at Globe Life Field.

The victory gave the Twins a series win, taking two of three games from the Rangers in the final meeting of the season between the clubs.

Buxton provided all the offense Minnesota would need, ambushing Texas starter Tyler Mahle on the fourth pitch of the game. He sent a solo home run, his 33rd of the season, deep to center field to give the Twins an immediate 1-0 lead.

That early advantage was more than enough for Ober, who delivered a masterful performance. The right-hander stifled the Rangers’ lineup over six dominant innings, allowing just two singles while walking one and striking out five. He faced minimal trouble, with his only significant challenge coming in the third inning. After Ezequiel Duran singled, Ober induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of Joc Pederson to extinguish the threat.

Mahle, facing his former team, settled in after the first-inning homer. He limited the Twins to one run on five hits over five innings, walking one and striking out four. The Rangers’ bullpen initially kept the game close, with Jacob Webb firing two perfect innings and Hoby Milner recording four outs without allowing a hit.

The game remained a tense 1-0 affair until the top of the eighth inning. With Milner still on the mound, Edouard Julien led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Ryan Fitzgerald. Christian Vázquez followed with another single, setting the stage for Buxton’s second act. On a 1-1 pitch from Milner, Buxton connected again, driving a towering fly ball to center field for a three-run homer, his 34th of the season, to break the game open and provide a crucial 4-0 cushion.

The Twins’ bullpen preserved the shutout with authority. Kody Funderburk struck out two in a perfect seventh inning. Pierson Ohl worked around a two-out double by Billy McKinney in the eighth, and Cole Sands closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, punctuated by a strikeout of Adolis García.

Minnesota’s offense collected 10 hits, led by Buxton’s 2-for-4, four-RBI performance. Julien also contributed a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3.

The Rangers, meanwhile, were held to just three hits—singles by Duran and Alejandro Osuna, and the double by McKinney—as they were shut out for the second time in the series.

Ober earned the win, improving his record to 6-9. Mahle was tagged with the loss, falling to 6-4.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 23,298, lasted 2 hours and 29 minutes.

With the result, the Twins improved their record to 69-90. The Rangers fell to 80-79, dropping below the .500 mark with three games remaining in the regular season. The outcome defied pregame projections, as Interstat’s ELO system had given Texas a 62 percent probability to win, and the Rangers were installed as 1.5-run favorites. The combined four runs fell well under the over/under line of 7.5.

Minnesota will now travel to Philadelphia to begin a three-game season-ending series against the Phillies on Friday. Texas heads to Cleveland for a three-game set against the Guardians, also beginning Friday.