The Brief
A Kody Clemens homerun in the sixth and a walk-off bunt by Brooks Lee in the ninth put the Twins over the Rays on Saturday.
The win gave Rocco Baldelli his 500th win.
The Twins are trying to get on track after a bad June.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A walk-off bunt put the Minnesota Twins over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday and earned skipper Rocco Baldelli his 500th career win.
Walk-off bunt
What we know
The Twins trailed 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth until a single by Royce Lewis scored Carlos Correa. Then, Kody Clemens homered with two men on base, to tie the game at 5-5.
Advertisement
The game remained tied in the bottom of the ninth until Brooks Lee, who was brought into the game earlier as a pinch hitter, laid down a perfect bunt that scored Byron Buxton for the win.
After getting a Gatorade bath, Lee told sideline reporter Audra Martin, it’s something he’s worked on.
“I was surprised too, but any way we can get it done,” said Lee. “I’ve been bunting all my life, that’s west coast baseball.”
500 wins for Rocco
Big picture view
Saturday’s win gave Twins manager Rocco Baldelli his 500th career win. Baldelli has coached the Twins since 2019, earning a 500-459 record over that span.
Advertisement
This year, Baldelli is trying to get the Twins back on track. After a slow start to the year, the Twins saw a 13-game win streak in May but have come up short in June with a 9-18 record, including some bad blowout losses.
The Twins are currently 12 games back from the first-place Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.
What’s next
FOX 9 is slated to broadcast its next Twins game this coming Tuesday, July 8. FOX 9 will air the Twins matchup versus the Cubs starting at 6:40 p.m.
Here’s a look at the remaining schedule for the Minnesota Twins on FOX 9.
Tuesday, July 8: Twins vs. Chicago Cubs at 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday, July 29: Twins vs. Boston Red Sox at 6:40 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 16: Twins vs. Detroit Tigers at 6:15 p.m. (FOX Saturday Baseball)
Tuesday, Aug. 12: Twins @ New York Yankees at 6:05 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 19: Twins vs. Athletics at 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 2: Twins vs. Chicago White Sox at 6:40 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6: Twins @ Kansas City Royals at 6:15 p.m. (FOX Saturday Baseball)