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MINNEAPOLIS -- It had been nearly two months since Joe Saunders pitched in the majors and 10 days since his last rehab start in the minor leagues. So it was understandable if he was a little shaky early in his return to the Texas Rangers rotation. He spent most of the outing searching for his best stuff, but still managed to shut down the struggling Minnesota Twins offence. Saunders pitched five scoreless innings and Luis Sardinas drove in the only run of the game to lift the Rangers to a 1-0 victory over the Twins on Wednesday night. "It was a battle for the first time coming back in almost two months," Saunders said. "It was a struggle, but I made some good pitches, got some clutch strikeouts against some pretty good hitters and kept the team right where it needed to be." Saunders gave up five hits and struck out six after being activated from the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day. "I had to take a step back there in the first inning, relax and calm the nerves a little bit," Saunders said. "Its been a long time coming for me. Its the longest Ive ever been out. It was a good start." Sardinas had a two-out single off struggling Twins reliever Jared Burton (1-2) in the seventh inning to help propel the Rangers to their seventh win in the past 10 games. Kyle Gibson gave up six hits and struck out four in six scoreless innings, but the Twins left nine runners on base and went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Joe Mauer went 0 for 4. Shawn Tolleson (1-1) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings of relief for the win and Joakim Soria picked up his ninth save in 10 tries, one night after his error in the ninth inning led to his first blown save of the season. Saunders had only made one other start this season, but he took a line drive from Evan Longoria off his left ankle in his season debut on April 4. Saunders made four rehab starts and had his breaking ball working in his return to the Rangers rotation on Wednesday night. Saunders stranded seven baserunners, including getting Brian Dozier to fly out with the bases loaded in the second. With his pitch count at 97 after five innings, manager Ron Washington elected to go to the bullpen rather than push Saunders too hard in his first start back. "Hes a competitor and he had to compete tonight, especially early in the game when they couldve done some damage," Washington said. Gibson was just as sharp, allowing just one extra-base hit and breezing through six. But he didnt get any help from a slumping offence that has scored just 10 runs in the past six games. Mauer had a chance in the seventh inning with the tying run on third base and two outs, but he chased a breaking ball for strike three and heard boos from a frustrated hometown fan base. Mauer is hitting .277 with 15 RBIs and six doubles on the season. "I feel pretty good actually, which is even more frustrating," said Mauer, who has been dealing with a sore back for parts of the season. "Im hitting a lot of balls hard and just not having much to show for it. So hopefully that turns here soon. just got to try to have some good at bats, keep having good at-bats and hopefully they start falling." Elvis Andrus was ejected in the sixth inning after he muttered something to home plate umpire Pat Hoberg regarding a low strike called earlier in his at-bat. It was the second ejection of the season for Andrus and Washington moved Sardinas from second base to shortstop and put Rougned Odor at second base to fill the hole. NOTES: Twins CF Aaron Hicks was a late scratch with a back issue, forcing manager Ron Gardenhire to start SS Danny Santana in CF. ... While on a rehab assignment for a groin injury, Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey felt soreness in his shoulder and was brought to Minnesota for examination. Another stint on the disabled list is likely after the Twins diagnose the injury. ... Alex Rios extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the fourth. ... Gardenhire challenged a play in the seventh inning when Leonys Martin was ruled safe on a steal. Gardenhire claimed Dozier applied the tag, but the play was upheld after a 51-second review. Fake NHL Jerseys . LOUIS -- To stay a step ahead of goaltenders, T. Custom NHL Jerseys . The 26-year-old Redditch, England, native played three of his past four seasons under Rennie with the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/. Hes recovered from a scary injury and cleared to play. Mingo, who was hospitalized with a bruised lung he sustained in an Aug. Clearance NHL Jerseys . Anything less than gold for either nation is considered a disappointment. Yet for Switzerland, advancing to the semifinal might be a victory in itself. NHL Jerseys China . The football club recently announced an increase in season ticket prices in five of the seven categories at Investors Group Field for 2014. While most increases are in the two to three per cent range, the clubs most affordable season tickets will jump from $199 to $250 — a 26 per cent leap.NEW YORK -- Dillon Gee expected to pitch this well in his return from the disabled list. What surprised him was the new attitude in the New York Mets clubhouse. David Wright ignited a tiebreaking rally in the seventh with a hustle double, Travis dArnaud gave Gee some cushion with a two-run drive later in the inning and New York beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Wednesday night for its first four-game winning streak in a year. In his first start in two months, Gee (4-1) pitched seven-plus dominant innings as the Mets won the first three of a four-game series against the Braves less than two weeks after being swept in Atlanta. "Its very different," Gee said. "Guys are having a lot of fun." The mood is shifting in the visitors clubhouse, too. The Braves went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position in their fourth straight loss, dropping them a game behind first-place Washington in the NL East after surging to the top of the division with a nine-game winning streak. Atlanta has scored just eight runs over the skid and is 5 for 38 (.132) with runners in scoring position over that span. "When we were winning nine in a row we were driving in the runs in situational hitting," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Obviously we are not doing that now." DArnauds long ball in the seventh came two pitches after Kirk Nieuwenhuis gave New York the lead with a sacrifice fly. The drive to left field off Ervin Santana (7-6) gave New York a homer in nine straight games at Citi Field, a team record for the stadium that opened in 2009. Wright hit a lazy liner to left-centre leading off the seventh. He slowed as he made the turn at first but then took off when he saw left fielder Justin Upton make a lackadaisical attempt to get it back in, flopping into second as Uptons late throw sailed toward the Mets dugout. Wright advanced on Lucas Dudas fly to right. "Tremendous job running the bases," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Heads up play." Duda gave the Mets an early lead with a two-out RBI single in the first. B.J Uptons RBI double in the fifth tied it 1-all. Santana scored after reaching on an infield single. In between, both starters were particularly stingy, allowing three baserunnerrs total between the second and fifth innings.dddddddddddd All three were wiped out by double plays -- two by the Mets. Activated from the disabled list to make the start, Gee slid into the rotation slot left open when Jonathon Niese went on the DL on Sunday because of a left shoulder strain. The 28-year-old Gee was on quite a roll when he strained his right lat May 10, going 3-1 with a 1.36 ERA in his last five starts. Back on the mound with a scruffy beard Wednesday, he was just as good. "I felt like I was making my debut all over again," Gee said. Gee faced the minimum 15 batters through five innings. A walk to leadoff batter B.J. Upton was wiped out by a caught stealing -- after a replay review. New Jersey native Tommy La Stella opened the third with a single but Gerald Laird grounded into a double play. "He was sailing along about as good as you can possibly do. He made pitch after pitch," Collins said. "Thats the Dillon Gee we have known to love." Gee was lifted in the eighth with runners on first and second and no outs having thrown 88 pitches. He allowed six hits, a walk and struck out four. Vic Black then got three outs to quash the rally. Jenrry Mejia gave up two hits and threw a two-out wild pitch in the ninth before striking out La Stella to loud cheers from the sparse crowd for his ninth save in 11 chances. Santana was equally tough into the seventh. After allowing a double to Daniel Murphy and Dudas RBI hit in the first, he yielded just one hit until Wright doubled. "It was a great game for both sides," Santana said. "When it is a game like that it is only going to be one way, whoever makes the first mistake, that is going to be the game right there." He allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings. Coming in, the Mets had just one run in 15 innings this season against Santana. NOTES: The Mets optioned RHP Gonzalez Germen to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Gee. ... Gonzalez said about Braves C Evan Gattis (back), "I dont see him being ready to play" right after the All-Star break next week. ... Up next: Atlantas Aaron Harang (8-6) and New Yorks Bartolo Colon (8-7) face off in the finale of the four-game series. ' ' '