Denard Span singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lead the Minnesota Twins past the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Friday.

J.J. Hardy tied the score earlier in the seventh with a run-scoring single while Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer added RBIs for the Twins, who increased their lead over the idle Chicago White Sox to four games in the American League Central race.

Trailing 3-2 after Julio Borbon’s RBI sacrifice bunt in the top of the frame, Minnesota came right back when Danny Valencia singled off Derek Holland (2-3) with one out and Jason Repko drew a walk. Alexi Ogando relieved Holland and immediately yielded Hardy’s single, which plated pinch runner Matt Tolbert with the tying run. Span was up next and quickly gave the Twins the lead, pushing a single into right field to score Repko.

Matt Fox made his major-league debut for Minnesota, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Alex Burnett (2-2) earned the win in relief and Matt Capps got the final two outs of the eighth and worked the ninth for his 34th save.

Josh Hamilton recorded two hits and scored a run for Texas but was replaced by a pinch runner in the eighth due to stiffness in his lower back.