Rays Beat Twins In 18 Innings

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.

As we know from the box score, the game’s first two innings offered extremely an inaccurate preview as to what direction the game would proceed forward with, as both offenses sputtered out as a pitching duel ensued. Although the Rays challenged Minnesota during the tenth inning after loading up the bases with no outs payed yet, the game failed to find its deciding runs after Blake Parker worked out of the jam. Pitching excellence continued between both sides from that point on, as both the Rays and Twins recorded only three hits each during the next eight frames.

Once reaching the 18th inning, Tampa Bay got things cooking again, loading up the bases for Yandy Diaz. With one out, Diaz lifted a ball deep enough into left field for Brandon Lowe to rush home and slide across the plate after beating an inaccurate throw from Arraez, which gravitated too far from catcher Jason Castro to secure and tag out Lowe in time. Adding some insurance, Willy Adames contributed with an RBI single, followed by Ji–Man Choi who increased the lead by three runs after his infield single. Ryan Yarbrough closed the door shortly after, pitching his third consecutive scoreless inning to grant the Rays their 46th win.

“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.