Days like this were why the Twins cracked the vault and signed Ervin Santana to the richest free-agent contract in club history, a $55 million investment that has produced two victories and the infamy of a steroids suspension.
A three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers and further wild-card credibility should have been seized Thursday on a sultry afternoon at Target Field.
But that opportunity melted fast.
Santana conveniently was spotted to a 4-0 lead after two innings. Texas halved it in the fourth, leapfrogged Minnesota in the fifth and chased the veteran right-hander before he could record an out in the seventh.