Game 137: Minnesota Twins 6 Rays 5— Postgame News and Notes
Tampa Bay spotted Minnesota a 4–0 lead on Sunday, rallied to take the lead, but couldn’t hold it. The Rays (86–51) settled for winning two of three in the series and a 4–3 home stand after a 6-5 loss to the Twins at Tropicana Field.
Andrew Kittredge started the ninth in a tie game and Josh Donaldson doubled to left with one out. A wild pitch moved Donaldson to third, and Max Kepler was walked intentionally. Nick Gordon singled to center, giving the Twins the lead back at 6–5.
That made a winner out of Tyler Duffey, who worked around a single in the eighth to pitch a scoreless frame. Alex Colome pitched the ninth, working around two hits and a walk in the ninth, getting former teammate Nelson Cruz to fly to center with runners at the corners, ending the game.
The Rays started the seventh with a 5–4 lead and Pete Fairbanks, the fifth Tampa Bay pitcher on the mound. Byron Buxton singled to left, and Jorge Polanco walked on a 3–2 pitch. Josh Donaldson lined to center, and Max Kepler flew out to center field, with Buxton moving to third. Nick Gordon lined a single off the glove of a leaping Wander Franco, tying the game at five, as Polanco went to third. Gordon then stole second but pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder grounded slowly to short keeping the game even. David Robertson then pitched a scoreless eighth.
The Rays begin their comeback in the third against starter Griffin Jax. Kevin Kiermaier reached on an infield hit on the left side of the infield, and two batters later Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer to right, making it 4–2. For Lowe, it was his second homer in as many days and his team-leading 33rd of the season.
Minnesota had a chance to answer in the fourth against reliever J.P. Feyereisen, who had finished the third for starter Luis Patino. Luis Arraez singled to center and went to third on ground rule double to third by Byron Buxton. However, Max Kepler lined into a 6–5 double play as Arraez broke from third and thought the ball got into center field. Donaldson then popped to second, ending the threat.
Kiermaier just missed a three-run homer in the home fourth, flying out to the wall, but Tampa Bay took the lead in the fifth. Lowe singled to right with one out, and was wild pitched to second. Wander Franco struck out for the first time in 42 plate appearances, but Cruz singled to right, scoring Lowe to make it 4–3. That chased Jax, and lefty Caleb Theilbar entered to face Austin Meadows. After falling behind 0-and-2, Meadows foiled the strategy, hitting a two-run homer to right for a 5–4 advantage. It was the 23rd for Meadows, giving him a club best 96 RBI.
During that time Feyereisen, Adam Conley and J.T. Chargois worked three scoreless frames to give Tampa Bay a chance to come back. That followed the early struggles by Patino.
Patino, who lasted just three innings at Minnesota, retired his first five batters, three by strikeout. However, Gordon lined a hustle double to right center, and Jake Cave followed with an RBI ground ball single to center field. Ben Rortvedt hit a two-strike bloop hit to left, and Willians Astudillo, who had walked just twice prior this season, drew a free pass to load the bases. Leadoff Luis Arraez followed with a two-run single to right to cap the three-run rally.
Then in the third, Donaldson singled to center with one out, went to second on a balk, and to third on a wild pitch. Kepler walked, and after Gordon struck out, Cave looped a single to shallow right-center for a 4–0 advantage. Rortvedt walked to chase Patino and load the bases. Feyereisen got Astudillo to ground into a fielder’s choice to keep Tampa Bay within a slam.
The Rays are in Boston to begin a three-city road trip and a three game series on Monday afternoon. Ryan Yarbrough (8–4 4.50) will start or pitch behind an opener, with Chris Sale (3–0 2.53) going for Boston. Coverage on the Rays Radio Network begins at 12:30 p.m. and Dave and Andy will have the call with first pitch at 1:10.
