Aranda, Jansen HRs lift Rays to a 7-2 victory over Twins, extending winning streak to 6 games
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Aranda launched a three-run home run and Danny Jansen followed with a two-run blast as the Tampa Bay Rays extended their winning streak to six games, defeating the Minnesota Twins 7-2 on Monday night.
Zack Littell (4-5) delivered a stellar outing for Tampa Bay, holding the Twins to just three hits over six shutout innings. He exited in the seventh after hitting Ty France with his 72nd pitch. Reliever Garrett Cleavinger then gave up a two-run homer to Carlos Correa — his fourth of the season — cutting the Rays’ lead to 3-2.
Minnesota’s lone left-handed reliever, Kody Funderburk, entered in the eighth with one out and the bases empty but quickly found trouble. He surrendered consecutive singles to Aranda and Curtis Mead, and after a second out, José Caballero smacked a two-run double to extend Tampa Bay’s lead. Jansen followed with his fourth homer of the season to make it 7-2.
The scoring opened in the sixth when Aranda broke a scoreless tie, sending a 1-2 pitch from reliever Brock Stewart 365 feet to right field. The three-run shot gave the Rays their initial lead. Twins starter Chris Paddack had cruised through five innings before being lifted in the sixth after allowing a single to Brandon Lowe and a double to Junior Caminero.
Littell, who started the season with five straight losses, allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings. Manuel Rodríguez and Mason Montgomery each tossed a scoreless inning to secure the win.
Paddack (2-5) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. Funderburk was charged with four runs on six hits in just two-thirds of an inning.
Brandon Lowe went 2-for-4, extending his hitting streak to nine games for the Rays (27-26). Curtis Mead also stayed hot, extending his hit streak to eight games.
Despite the loss, the Twins (29-24) remain 16-4 over their last 20 games but dropped the opener of a 10-game road trip.
Tampa Bay’s six-game streak has come at George M. Steinbrenner Field, their temporary home, where they improved to 17-18.
Up Next:
Minnesota will send RHP Joe Ryan (4-2, 2.68 ERA) to the mound Tuesday to face Tampa Bay’s RHP Taj Bradley (4-3, 4.61 ERA).
