ST. PETERSBURG (WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays will head out on to their next trip on a three-game losing streak, as they spotted the Minnesota Twins a 7-0 lead and could not complete the comeback, falling 9-7 Sunday at Tropicana Field.
Ryan Yarbrough and Jake Odorizzi each put up zeroes in the first two innings, but the Tampa Bay left-hander could not get a clean third, as Miguel Sano led off the inning with a single, moving to third on a double by Byron Buxton and scoring on a base hit by Mitch Garver. Jorge Polanco made it 2-0 one batter later with a sacrifice fly that plated Buxton.
The Twins added a run in the fourth when Miguel Sano double bounced over Brandon Lowe's head in left and rolled to the wall, allowing Marwin Gonzalez to score to make it 3-0, and plated four more in the fifth, keyed by a bases-clearing double from former Ray C.J. Cron.
Odorizzi (8-2) worked six scoreless innings, the sixth time in his last seven starts in which he did not allow a run, lowering his league-leading ERA to 1.96, and extending his unbeaten streak to nine straight starts.
Tampa Bay finally got on the board in the seventh, with Kevin Kiermaier ending the shutout bid with an infield single, and Austin Meadows cutting the deficit to 7-3 with a two-run single. After Yandy Diaz walked to again load the bases, Lowe then grounded a pitch off the glove of Cron at first base for an RBI single, and a second run was allowed to score on a throwing error by Jonathan Schoop, cutting the lead to 7-5.
Jonathan Schoop'a two-run blast in the eighth gave Minnesota some breathing room at 9-5, and turned out to be the difference, as Christian Arroyo homered for the second straight day in the bottom of the inning, cutting the lead back to 9-7, though Tampa Bay could get no closer.
TUESDAY'S MATCHUP
Tampa Bay Rays (35-22) at Detroit Tigers (22-34), 7:10 pm first pitch, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 6:00 with The Inside Pitch
Rays starter: LHP Blake Snell (3-4, 3.06 ERA)
Tigers starter: LHP Ryan Carpenter (0-2, 7.58 ERA)