Rays Need Extra Innings to Beat Twins, Claim Series Finale 7-5

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — For the third straight day, the Tampa Bay bullpen blew a late lead. But this time, the Rays had an answer, exploding for three runs in the 10th inning to win 7-5 and salvage the last game of a frustrating three-game series.

In a game loaded with storylines, the best one was the Rays' rally in the 10th, which featured a leadoff RBI double by Yandy Diaz, a sacrifice bunt by Jose Caballero that led to a throwing error and another run on a sacrifice fly by Junior Caminero. Eric Orze got three outs in the bottom of the 10th to seal the win.

It was an unconventional win, to be sure. The Rays, in making an effort to limit Drew Rasmussen's innings after a third elbow surgery, allowed their star to pitch just two innings. He gave up a leadoff homer to Byron Buxton, but left after two trailing 1-0.

Then rookie Joe Boyle followed, and he was brilliant. Called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Durham, Boyle pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one unearned run, giving the Rays a chance to get back into the game.

The Rays tied the game in the third on a Taylor Walls home run off of Twins starter Joe Ryan and took the lead in the fourth on a Caballero double and a Jonathan Aranda single. The Twins tied the game in the sixth on an unearned run, but the Rays answered in the eighth with a lot of small ball.

Matt Thaiss and Yandy Diaz opened the inning with singles, and Caballero bunted them to third. Chrstopher Morel came in to run for Thiaiss, and when Caminero hit a dribbler right in front of the plate, Morel broke on contact and beat catcher Christian Vasquez back to home to give the Rays a 3-2 lead. Then Aranda hit a roller that didn't leave the infielder either, and Diaz scored to make it 4-2.

But then the Rays, who have lost four games this week with late-inning bullpen collapses, saw it happen again when Mason Montgomery walked Willi Castro in the bottom of the eighth and then gave up a two-run homer to Harrison Bader, who had two homers on Saturday.

This time, though, the Rays' bullpen got through the final two-plus innings without letting this one slip away. Closer Pete Fairbanks got five outs, allowing just one hit, And then Orze closed it out in the 10th for his third save of the season.

It was both a great day and a tough day for Tampa Bay second baseman Brandon Lowe, who had hit safely in 20 straight games to tie the team record set by teammate Yandy Diaz a year ago. But in his first at-bat — which ended in a strikeout — he pulled a muscle in his left side and had to leave the game. So his hitting streak ends at 20, which was also the longest of his career.

After the game though, he was told that he made the American League All-Star team. First baseman Jonathan Aranda was also selected.

The Rays are now 49-41 and are three games behind Toronto Blue, who beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Sunday, in the American League East race. The Blue Jays have now won eight games in a row. The Rays are tied for second with the New York Yankees, who beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Sunday.

The Rays' 10-game road trip now heads to Detroit to take on the Tigers, who have a big lead in the American League Central. Shane Baz (8-3, 4.33 ERA) will pitch for the Rays against veteran John Flaherty (5-9, 4.84 ERA). The game starts at 6:40 p.m. ET.

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