Rays 3, Twins 4: A one-run loss bummer

No comebacks this time around.

The Rays wrapped up their series against the Twins with a bummer of a one-run loss, no comeback heroics for the afternoon game. Let’s just jump right in and take a look at how it all shook out.

Pablo Lopez started for the Twins, while Taj Bradley took the mound for the Rays.

The Twins were 1-2-3 at the top of the first, and the Rays suffered the same fate in the bottom half.

Jose Miranda started the second with a single, followed up with a Carlos Santana single. Edouard Julien then did precisely what the Rays were hoping he wouldn’t, and hit a three-run home run. Austin Martin then collected a two-out single, but the Twins didn’t score any additional runs. The Rays were three-up, three-down in the bottom of the inning.

The Twins extended their lead and got the last run they’d score in the game, as Matt Wallner got a one-out home run in the top of the third. In the home half of the third inning the Rays managed to make some headway. Jonny DeLuca and Taylor Walls hit back-to-back singles. Then with two outs in the inning, Brandon Lowe drew a walk to load the bases. Junior Caminero singled to drive two runs in.

The Twins went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth. The Rays got a single baserunner in the home half with a DeLuca single, but no runs scored.

Austin Martin walked to start the fifth, and advanced to second on a wild pitch from Bradley. Three outs followed (come on guys, I already gave the big spoiler, they’re not going to score any more runs). Yandy Diaz hit a one-out single in the bottom of the inning, but no runs scored.

In the sixth the Twins went down in order, and the Rays did the same in the home half.

Ryan Jeffers kicked off the seventh with a single, but a double play quickly eliminated him, and a strikeout ended the inning. In the home half Jonny DeLuca kicked things off with a double, then Yandy Diaz hit a ground rule double to score DeLuca (though it was a nail-biter with an umpire rule-review that was ultimately upheld). The Rays came within one run, and riding off the comeback from the previous day everything felt possible. Lopez’s day was done, making way for Griffin Jax, which is 100% the name of someone from reality TV. Jax got the last out of the inning.

Bradley was also done for the day, being replaced with fresh-faced rookie Mason Montgomery whose whole family was in the stands to watch his debut. Montgomery gave up a walk to Matt Wallner, but otherwise shut down the side. The Rays got within inches (or within 90 feet) of tying it up in the bottom of the eighth as Christopher Morel hit a two-out triple.

Kevin Kelly came on to pitch in the top of the ninth and gave up a two-out double to Ryan Jeffers. No runs scored. Jhoan Duran was the next Twins reliever in, and got the final three outs to hand the Rays a loss.

Better luck against the Orioles, guys.

Final: Twins 4, Rays 3