After Desmond Jennings' home run put the Rays up 5-0 in the fifth, the Twins responded with two in the top of the sixth, when Ryan Doumit singled home two runs. The play knocked Jeff Niemann out of the game, as his day ended after 5.1 innings allowing three hits, two walks and striking out five.
The Rays bullpen would shut down the Twins the rest of the way, while another sac fly by B.J. Upton in the bottom of the eighth gave Tampa Bay insurance.
Although he didn't knock any runs, Evan Longoria had a good game for the Rays, going 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored.
The Rays will now begin a series at home with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday.
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The Tampa Bay Rays are having no problems with the Minnesota Twins, as they lead 5-0 after five innings despite having just three hits.
Rays starter Jeff Niemann has stolen the spotlight, however, as he has allowed just one hit and two walks during the first five innings while striking out five.
The Rays were able to break the scoring open in the fifth inning when Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist each hit sac flys.
In the fourth, B.J. Upton made the score 3-0 with a sac fly of his own. In the bottom of the fifth, the Rays finally got the big hit they needed when Jennings hit a two-run home run to left field.
Twins starter Francisco Liriano has struggled with his control, allowing all five runs while walking four and striking out four.
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The Tampa Bay Rays (8-7) host the Minnesota Twins (5-10) on Sunday afternoon, looking for a victory and 5-1 start to the season at Tropicana Field.
The Rays will send Jeff Niemann to the mound. Niemann is just 0-2 this season with a 4.50 ERA, but in his career is 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA in five starts against Minnesota, throwing at least seven innings in the last three.
Francisco Liriano (0-2, 11.91 ERA) will take the hill for the Twins. Liriano has struggled mightily to start the season, allowing five earned runs in each of his first three starts, not lasting past the fifth inning in any of those starts. Liriano has had lukewarm success against Tampa Bay in his career, going 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in seven starts.
We'll have plenty more on this series throughout the weekend here on SB Nation Tampa Bay, so keep it locked to this StoryStream for all of the latest news and updates. For more on this and every series for the Rays, please head over to DRaysBay. For some perspective from the other dugout, please head over to Twinkie Town, SB Nation's Minnesota Twins blog. As always, you can head over to Baseball Nation for more on this and every MLB baseball game.
In his second game since coming off the disabled list, center fielder B.J. Upton keyed the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins with 2 RBIs. In the sixth, Upton singled to shallow center, scoring both Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. It would start a three-run inning.
Perhaps most impressive, though, was the performance from starter James Shields, who would last eight innings, striking out seven batters and giving up just one earned run in the victory — his third this season. Closer Fernando Rodney would come on for the ninth inning and record his fifth save of the season, striking out two.
The rubber-match will take place tomorrow at 1:40 p.m. EST. Minnesota had won Friday’s game 5-4 at Tropicana Field.
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The Tampa Bay Rays finally returned to Tropicana field on Friday night, after an unremarkable 10-game road trip. Matt Moore took the mound for Tampa, looking for his first win of the season against a Minnesota lineup that was without Justin Morneau, who rested after fouling a ball off his foot on Thursday. Moore did not have his best stuff, walking three and striking out just two in six and a third innings pitched. But Moore battled through, allowing just three runs and leaving the game with a two-run lead.
Brandon Gomes relieved Moore in the top of the 7th after he gave up a single to Alexi Casilla. Facing the top of the order, Gomes failed to get an out, promptly giving up a single to Denard Span and walking Jamey Carroll. Gomes was yanked for Joel Peralta, who induced a fly out from Joe Mauer but then gave up a go-ahead double to Josh Willingham, which drove home Casilla, Span, and Carroll. That would prove to be the difference for Minnesota.
Just one night after having his best game of the season, Evan Longoria continued his hot hitting and hit a 384-foot homer to left off of Liam Hendricks. The two-run shot gave the Rays a 4-3 lead, before the bullpen gave it away the very next inning.
We'll have plenty more on this series throughout the weekend here on SB Nation Tampa Bay, so keep it locked to this StoryStream for all of the latest news and updates. For more on this and every series for the Rays, please head over to DRaysBay. For some perspective from the other dugout, please head over to Twinkie Town, SB Nation's Minnesota Twins blog. As always, you can head over to Baseball Nation for more on this and every MLB baseball game.
