Rays 7, Twins 3
David DeJesus broke out a 0-for-24 slump with three hits and three RBIs as Tampa Bay defeated visiting Minnesota in the opener of the three-game series.
Tampa Bay starter David Price (3-1) allowed three runs, six hits and struck out 12 while throwing 113 pitches for his ninth career complete game and first of the season. James Loney collected three hits and two RBIs and Matt Joyce added a pair of hits while knocking in two for the Rays, who scored five runs in the first three innings.
Chris Colabello belted a two-run homer and Brian Dozier hit a solo blast in the fourth inning for the Twins, who have dropped three of their last four games. Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson (3-1) was charged with seven runs and 10 hits with two walks in three-plus innings as his ERA rose from 0.93 to 3.63.
The Rays sent nine men to the plate in the first inning and took a 3-0 lead after a two-run single to left-center field by Loney and DeJesus’ RBI base hit to right. DeJesus, who was without a hit since April 8 and batting .119 coming in, extended the lead in the third when he lined a two-run single to right with one out.
Price retired the first nine batters before Dozier homered to lead off the fourth and Colabello added a long two-run blast to left field later in the frame. Tampa Bay answered in its half of the fourth as Ben Zobrist and Desmond Jennings set the table with singles and scored on Joyce’s double to left-center field for a 7-3 edge.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Price reached 1,000 innings in his career after retiring his first batter Tuesday and is second in club history behind RHP James Shields (1,454 2/3 innings). … Right-handed batters were 1-for-25 against Gibson this season coming in, but righty swingers Jennings had two hits and Evan Longoria one Tuesday. … The Rays activated RHP Juan Carlos Oviedo from the disabled list and optioned LHP C.J. Riefenhauser to Triple-A Durham.