Garza leads Twins past Rangers 4-2

Matt Garza recovered from a leadoff homer to finally win a start at home as the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer each homered for the Twins, who completed the three-game sweep of the Rangers in a series between two teams long out of the pennant race.

With the loss, the Rangers clinched their third straight losing season.

Garza's record at the Metrodome is now 1-10 with a 5.91 ERA in 12 career starts. He looked to be in for another rough night when Frank Catalanotto led off the game with a shot to the right-field seats.

But the 23-year-old right-hander _ who's had an inconsistent season and is still trying to show the Twins he permanently belongs in the starting rotation _ settled down, retiring 12 straight at one point.

Garza (4-6) lasted 6 1-3 innings, allowing six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

He wore down with one out in the seventh after Garrett Jones misplayed David Murphy's single in left field, allowing Jason Botts to score and pull Texas to 3-2. Garza left to a standing ovation and Glen Perkins struck out pinch-hitter Sammy Sosa and Travis Metcalf to end the threat.

Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 34th save in 38 opportunities.

Rangers starter Vicente Padilla (6-10) didn't preserve his team's first-inning lead for long, walking two batters in the first before Justin Morneau's two-out single scored Jason Bartlett.

Minnesota scored a run on one hit in each of the first three innings to take a 3-1 lead as Padilla struggled with his control. Padilla walked five batters _ all in the first three innings, including all three leadoff men. It wasn't a very impressive outing for the eighth-year pitcher, who may have pitched his final game of the season. He faces a seven-game suspension after throwing at Nick Swisher in Oakland on Sunday, but was allowed to pitch Wednesday while waiting for his appeal to be resolved.

Padilla lasted five innings and had two strikeouts.

Notes:@ Catalanotto hit his ninth-career leadoff homer. ... Morneau's RBI single in the first broke an 0-for-16 slump. ... With Michael Young taking a planned turn as the DH, Hank Blalock was out of the lineup again. He has a sore neck, and he's not yet ready to return to the field. "I hope we can get him out there. If we don't, we've just got to wait 'til the spring," manager Ron Washington said. ... Minnesota loaded the bases twice, including once with no outs in the sixth, but failed both times to score. ... Twins slugger Torii Hunter walked three times, tying a career high.