ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Diaz homered as part of a four-run third inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep.
Tampa Bay has won four straight and is five games above .500. The Twins’ slide continued with their fifth consecutive loss and ninth defeat in their last 10 games.
Hunter Feduccia had an infield single, and then took second when Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson rushed a throw after fielding the grounder and sent it careening into first-base foul territory and into the Rays’ bullpen. Feduccia reached third on Chandler Simpson’s single. Simpson stole his ninth base of the season to set the table. Jonathan Aranda drove in both runners with a high fly-ball single.
Diaz then followed with his fourth homer of the year to give the Rays a 4-0 lead.
Jesse Scholtens (2-1) allowed two runs, both on Brooks Lee’s seventh-inning home run, over 4 1/3 innings as the bulk pitcher. Griffin Jax pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings as the opener.
Bryan Baker got his sixth save of the season.
Woods Richardson (0-4) allowed four runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Up next
Tampa Bay: Left-hander Steven Matz (3-1, 4.81) will start at Cleveland against the Guardians’ Parker Messick (3-0, 1.76) on Monday night.
Minnesota: The Twins open a homestand with left-hander Connor Prielipp (0-0, 4.50) facing Seattle’s Luis Castillo (0-1, 5.01) on Monday night.
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