The Minnesota Twins are on a hot streak after a horrendous start of the season.
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The Rays (44-64) allowed more than three runs for the first time in 11 games. Baseball hasn’t had a 20-game loser since Detroit’s Mike Maroth in 2003, and if Archer is to keep pitching and avoid such infamy, something has to change.
Chris Archer had one of those days that have been rare for him this season – nearly everything went his way. It had the looks of a routine fly ball, but of course, the Trop makes an adventure out of every batted ball. Six was all the team needed tonight. “I’m going to keep on doing my job”. The Rays clinched their first winning homestand of the season, improving to 6-3 with the finale on Sunday. Twins starter Jose Berrios (2-2) lasted five innings, giving up four run on six hits.
Berrios had good numbers at Triple-A Rochester, carrying a 2.71 ERA in 13 starts, and Saturday will be his second start since being recalled.
The two teams, with almost identical records at the bottom of the American League standings, go in opposite directions after Sunday’s game. “I made two or three mistakes tonight”.
DH Miguel Sano went 3-for-5 with a home run, his 16th, to help pad a one-run lead in the eighth inning.
Tampa Bay jumped ahead 1-0 in the first as Nick Franklin, who was batting second for the first time this season, reached on an infield single and took second on a wild pitch.
Logan Forsythe added a solo home run, his 11th of the season, in the seventh for a 6-1 lead.
Brian Dozier drove in the Twins’ first run with a double in the sixth, extending his career-high hitting streak to 15 games. In Saturday’s game, the Rays picked up a 7-3 win of their own. Four of them have come with runners in scoring position. “We let the game get away, left too many pitches up in the zone that those guys can handle and the ball left the ballpark”. “You’ll take the home runs, but I think overall, a consistent offense in terms of some of other things probably plays better over the long season”. Snell had runners at first and third with one out, but struck out Max Kepler and Sano to end the inning with the game tied.
Minnesota announced a roster move after the game, with INF Trevor Plouffe (fractured rib) activated off the disabled list after missing more than a month.
The importance of Matt Andries’s role with the Rays has certainly increased with the recent trade of Matt Moore. Duffy, acquired from San Francisco on Monday, said running the bases in a rehab game Friday with Class A Charlotte “felt nearly like nothing happened.”.
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1 Career victories by Kyle Gibson against the Rays, after five starts.
