Twins end skid with win over Rays
MINNEAPOLIS -- Byung Ho Park had a career-high three hits and Eduardo Nunez had an inside-the-park home run to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night at Target Field.
The Twins pounded out 15 hits as a team as every player in the lineup had at least one knock; Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.
Evan Longoria had a pair of hits, including a two-run homer, as Tampa Bay lost its fifth consecutive game.
Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers earned the win with two perfect innings in relief of starter Phil Hughes, who didn't make it through the fifth inning. It was his first career victory (1-0).
Kevin Jepsen worked a scoreless ninth for his seventh save.
Erasmo Ramirez (6-4) took the loss, allowing a run on two hits and a walk in relief of lefty Matt Moore, who pitched the first five innings.
Brian Dozier also hit a home run for the Twins.
Nunez hit Moore's second pitch of the night the opposite way to deep right and Brandon Guyer was unable to make the catch. The ball bounced off his glove and into the right-field corner as Nunez circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
It was the first inside-the-parker by a Twin at Target Field and the 50th in Twins history. It was also the first inside-the-park homer to lead off a game since Eric Young Jr. of the Colorado Rockies did it in 2012.
Tampa came back with three straight two-out singles by Brad Miller, Longoria and Logan Morrison to take a 2-1 lead in the third.
An RBI double by Max Kepler in the bottom of the fourth tied the score and two batters later, Minnesota re-took the lead on a sacrifice fly by Byron Buxton.
But in the next half inning, Longoria followed a leadoff single by Miller by tagging a Hughes fastball over the fence in left field for his 10th homer, giving the Rays a 4-3 lead.
The blast ended Hughes' night after 64 pitches and four-plus innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out two, raising Hughes' ERA this season to 5.97.
Dozier's solo homer in the bottom of the fifth took Hughes off the hook and tied the game at 4-4.
Moore left after five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out four and threw 96 pitches.
NOTES: Rays INF Steve Pearce remained out of the lineup because of tendonitis in his left elbow. Pearce is hitting .298 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in 124 at-bats this season. ... Rays OF Mikie Mahtook started in center field on Thursday in place of Desmond Jennings. ... Twins RHP Kyle Gibson was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday because of stiffness and pain in his back. Gibson has been on the 15-day disabled list since late April because of a strained right throwing shoulder. Gibson, who was scheduled to throw a bullpen instead on Thursday, could require one more rehab start before returning to the big-league roster. ... Twins LHP Glen Perkins is throwing from 120 feet and could soon throw a bullpen session as he recovers from soreness in his left shoulder that has sidelined him since early April. Perkins, who was placed on the disabled list on April 13, has pitched in just two games this season. ... The Twins signed OF Logan Schafer to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Rochester. Schafer played in 69 games with the Milwaukee Brewers last season and is a career .212 hitter with five homers and 52 RBIs in 562 MLB at-bats since 2011.