Coming into this series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Minnesota Twins had not lost a series since the calendar turned to May. Under the high, hot sky of a Tampa Bay afternoon, that streak came to an end today.
The Rays speed away with the series victory
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
As has happened so many times this series, it was lumber lethargy in the early goings as starters Pablo Lopez & Drew Rasmussen ganged up for goose eggs through three innings.
Nothing doing early off Rasmussen
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In the bottom of the 4th, gophers began to haunt Pablo: big flies from Brandon Lowe & Junior Caminero gave TB a 3-0 advantage.
Lopez wears down in the 4th
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The damage continued in the 5th when a Jonathan Aranda single knocked in Yandy Diaz to extended Tampa’s lead to 4-0.
Meanwhile, Twins’ bats proceeded to go 0-17 through six innings after Trevor Larnach’s leadoff single.
Nothin’ doin’
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MIN tried to make some noise in the 7th when singles from Carlos Correa & Brooks Lee opened the frame. But a Royce Lewis deep fly was hauled in steps from the RF wall—an all-too-common occurrence of late—and the threat was extinguished.
TB in control
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In the 8th, Kody Funderburk balked in a run to pad an already insurmountable lead this late in the contest. It was that kind of day.
At least everyone stayed hydrated, I guess
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Your Final: Tampa Bay Rays 5, Minnesota Twins 0.
Up next: a long flight to Seattle where—at very least—a major league stadium (one presumably without a haunted left field) awaits for a weekend series. I’ll be there on Friday night & Saturday afternoon hoping that my 7-2 live attendance record is the key to a new series victory streak!
Studs
Carson McCusker collecting his first major league hit—a bright spot on a dismal afternoon.
The big man writes his name in the MLB ledger
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Duds
Florida heat.
The entire left field area of George M. Steinbrenner Field. Larnach still had issues navigating that space today.
Always an adventure
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Comment of the Game