Minnesota scored first in all three games and never trailed.
The Minnesota Twins entered their series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field sitting at 33-40 and in need of a spark.
They got far more than that, sweeping all three games while outscoring Texas 25-7 and never trailing at any point in the series.
Josh Bell set the tone in Monday's 4-2 win with a three-run homer in the first inning, and the Twins followed that with a 12-2 blowout on Tuesday.
After a mid-series off day on Wednesday due to a World Cup match at the neighboring stadium, Minnesota came right back Thursday and closed things out 9-3.
The sweep pushed the Twins to 36-40 on the year while dropping the Rangers to 35-39.
After Thursday's finale, first-year manager Derek Shelton made it clear how impressed he was with the lineup's performance throughout the series.
"Our offense did a good job," Shelton said. "They came in, and they put pressure on, from sometimes the first hitter of the game, but throughout, and then they continued that. ... Overall, just a really good team offensive effort throughout the series. Everybody contributed."
Everybody Chipped In
The Twins got production from all over the lineup, and it was not just one or two guys carrying the load.
Bell drove in five first-inning runs across the three games, highlighted by his big homer on Monday and RBI singles on Tuesday and Thursday.
Brooks Lee delivered the biggest blow of the finale with a three-run homer in the first, his 12th of the season.
Trevor Larnach also went off on Thursday with three hits and three RBI, including a two-run homer to straightaway center. Ryan Kreidler added a two-run shot in the eighth.
On the mound, Joe Ryan turned in five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to earn his fifth win in the series closer.
That balanced effort has not always been there for the Twins this season.
The team has dealt with offensive inconsistency and pitching struggles at different points during the year, and the record has reflected that.
But this series looked like a completely different team.
Why This Should Encourage Twins Fans
Minnesota has now won five of their last six games and has slugged 23 home runs over its last 13 contests.
For a team sitting four games under .500, the path back in the AL Central is not going to be easy.
But if this sweep proved anything, it is that the lineup can be dangerous when the entire group shows up and applies pressure from the first pitch.
The Twins head to Arizona next for a weekend set against the Diamondbacks, and carrying this aggressive, team-first approach into the second half could make a real difference.
The talent has always been there in Minnesota.
The Rangers sweep showed the mindset might finally be catching up.
