Mitch Garver
Minnesota fans essentially received a “two for the price of one” deal while at Target Field yesterday, as the Rays and Twins required 18 innings to decide a victor, as the Rays eventually ended the nearly six hour affair winning with a 5–2 score. With their victory, the Rays avoided a sweep to stay alive within the AL East race, which the New York Yankees continue to pull away in.
Prior to another impressive performance from the Tampa Bay bullpen, the Twins scored their only two runs during the game’s inaugural inning with RBI’s off Mitch Garver‘s and Luis Arraez‘s bats. Shortly after, Tampa Bay continued their success from the mound, reminding us why they rank as the league’s best pitching staff with a 3.23 ERA, as they enforced an immovable run blockade and allowed zero runs during the following 17 innings. The Twins’s pitchers hit a bump early as well before finding a groove, allowing the Rays to tie things after an RBI double for Michael Brousseau and a Guillermo Heredia RBI single during the second inning.
“That was kind of the motto today at some point. We were like, `If we’re going to play this long of a game, we’re going to win the game,” said Yarbrough after sealing the win. With this win, the Rays sit 6.5 games behind the Yankees, who prepare to take on the Red Sox during the MLB’s first abroad game this weekend. Aside from another “W,” the Rays also broke a franchise record with 22 strikeouts once the game concluded.
On the other side, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli chose to look at the affair positively as he stated, “They’re character-building games for sure, and with any team you look for your identity in the way that you’re going to play and our guys, they never quit. ” This was the Twins second game which required extensive play this week, as Minnesota played 17 innings against Boston June 19.
Most likely hoping acquire a win to a quicker degree tonight, the Rays will face the Texas Rangers at 7:10 p.m. ETS. Meanwhile, the Twins look to get back in the win column against the Chicago White Sox at 8 p.m. ETS.
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