MINNEAPOLIS – Shannon Stewart snapped a tie game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, lifting Brad Radke and the Minnesota Twins to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

Stewart drove in four runs for the Twins, who avoided their first three-game sweep of the season. Radke (4-3) won his third straight decision, yielding seven hits and two runs in seven innings while striking out two.

Kevin Mench homered for the Rangers, whose five-game road winning streak ended with more struggles by their bullpen. Ron Mahay (0-2) surrendered Stewart’s homer.

Minnesota’s relief was more effective. Juan Rincon, making his second appearance since a 10-day ban for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, struck out the side in a perfect eighth. Joe Nathan, who gave up an earned run for the first time all season on Friday night, worked the ninth for his 11th save in 12 tries.

Stewart’s fourth homer came at an opportune time for the Twins, who struggled to score in the series. Michael Cuddyer and Juan Castro each hit two-out singles before Stewart’s big hit, which landed in the middle of the foul pole in left.

Chris Young, who made seven starts for the Rangers last season but officially remains a rookie, saw his scoreless innings streak end at 14 in the first on Justin Morneau’s sacrifice fly. Young, who is 6-foot-10, loaded the bases with nobody out but got Lew Ford to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Stewart hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Young escaped another bases-loaded jam by getting Ford to fly out to left. Cuddyer, who had three hits in his first three at-bats, hustled home to make it 2-1 after first baseman Mark Teixera made an over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory of Stewart’s ball. Teixera whirled around and made a strong throw home, but it was slightly up the third-base line.

Radke, the major league leader in fewest walks per nine innings, issued just his second free pass of the season in 63 innings – and it proved costly. Teixera led off the sixth with a walk and came around to score the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Richard Hidalgo.

The throw by Jacque Jones, who also struck out three times on the day his bobblehead doll was handed out to fans, sailed over catcher Joe Mauer’s head.

Notes: Radke faced 176 consecutive batters between walks, dating to April 14. … With Buck Showalter gone for his daughter’s high school graduation in Florida, the Rangers were managed by bench coach Don Wakamatsu. … The Rangers lost SS Michael Young to lower back stiffness in the third inning. He was replaced by Mark DeRosa. … Morneau turned 24 on Sunday.