Rays rally but lose to Twins on walkoff sacrifice fly - Tampa Bay Times

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The Rays seemed perfectly positioned for another comeback victory on Sunday afternoon. But this time, it didn’t happen.

After erasing an early four-score deficit, the Rays continually faltered at getting in the lead run, even with massive late-inning opportunities. Then the Minnesota Twins walked it off, winning 5-4 on Jorge Polanco’s deep sacrifice fly in the ninth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Max Kepler began the ninth with a cue-ball double to left field off reliever Matt Wisler, the sixth Rays pitcher. Kepler wound up on third base when the ball twisted away from Austin Meadows, who saw it slip out of his glove and get behind him.

“I definitely need to let that not get behind me and keep him on second base,” Meadows said. “It just kept slicing away.”

“You’d like to see Austin make the play and keep him at second, because that gives us a better chance,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose team saw its lead in the American League East reduced to three games over the Boston Red Sox. “It probably had some English and some spin on it.”

In reality, the game probably spun away from the Rays much earlier.

After tying the game in the seventh on Randy Arozarena’s one-out, bases-loaded infield single, there was a prime opportunity to break open the game. But Nelson Cruz (5-for-6 in bases-loaded situations this season) struck out against right-hander Tyler Duffey.

The Twins went to left-hander Caleb Thielbar, who threw three straight balls to Meadows, coming one pitch short of forcing in the lead run. After taking a strike, Meadows popped out.

Wander Franco led off the eighth with a double, then was bunted to third base by Manuel Margot, setting up another prime chance. But Jordan Luplow popped out and Mike Zunino grounded out.

That was that.

“We did a good job of working our way back but couldn’t get it done today,” Zunino said.

“We did some good things offensively, but some not so good,” Cash said. “We had opportunities we didn’t capitalize on. We were one swing of the bat from taking the lead. We tied it but couldn’t get anything going (after that).”

It was very un-Rays-like.

The Rays lead the majors in comeback victories (36). Coming into the game, they had scored a majors-leading 236 runs in the seventh inning or later while compiling a plus-99 run differential (also best in MLB) during those innings.

There was also a missed opportunity in the third, when Zunino led off with a single, then Mike Brosseau followed with a double. Second and third with nobody out. Joey Wendle smacked a grounder to first baseman Miguel Sano, and the slow-footed Zunino was off on contact as he was instructed. Zunino was easily thrown out at the plate.

Things didn’t go well for Rays starter Luis Patino, who lasted just three innings and walked five batters. Two Twins runs scored in the first — on Josh Donaldson’s RBI single and a fielder’s choice.

“Not ideal,” Cash said. “The ball just wasn’t coming out. He had a thick workload at Boston, and we didn’t want to extend him any farther than that.”

When the Rays went to the bullpen in the fourth, things got worse. Left-hander Ryan Sherriff issued a pair of two-out walks, and Cash didn’t hesitate. Sherriff was done. Then Andrew Kittredge was greeted by Donaldson’s two-run double and the Rays trailed 4-0.

The Rays began chipping away.

Zunino hit a one-out solo home run in the fifth, his 25th (tying his career high), and the Rays cut their deficit to 4-1. It also ended a string of 15 consecutive scoreless innings by Tampa Bay dating to Friday night.

The Twins lifted left-hander Charlie Barnes, seeking his first major-league victory, after five innings. Then the Rays got to work against the bullpen. After right-hander Edgar Garcia got two outs in the sixth, Meadows drew a walk and Franco followed with a two-run homer to right field, making it a one-run game. Franco reached base for the 18th consecutive game.

That’s where it stopped.

Overall, the Rays were 6-3 on the three-city road trip. Cash said that record would’ve sounded good when the trip began.

“But there is a little sour taste in your mouth with how it ended today,” he said.

Opportunity — or opportunities — lost.

• • •

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Rays rally but lose to Twins on walkoff sacrifice fly - Tampa Bay Times
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