ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz hit a two-run homer in an eight-run fourth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays went on to beat the Minnesota Twins 9-4 on Wednesday night.
All eight runs were scored off Louie Varland (0-6), who was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to follow opener Ronny Henríquez. Taylor Walls had a two-run single and José Caballero had an RBI single in the inning. The Rays also scored on a pair of fielder’s choice grounders with the infield in and an errant pickoff throw by Varland.
“A lot happened,” Varland said. “It’s how it goes, I guess?”
Walls picked up his third RBI of the game on an eighth-inning sacrifice fly.
Tampa Bay started play six games behind Kansas City for the final AL wild card.
“We want to fight for a wild card,” Rays’ Thursday starter Taj Bradley said. “We’ve got some stuff to do, some work to do. These games just feel more important.”
Carlos Santana hit his 20th homer during a four-run seventh for the Twins, who still hold the second AL wild card despite going 5-11 since Aug. 18.
“Over 16 games, you’re going to have stretches where you don’t play your best,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s how you handled it.”
Minnesota’s Kyle Farmer also had a solo homer in the seventh off Tyler Alexander (6-4).
Baldelli, a one-time coach for Rays manager Kevin Cash, used an opener for the second time this season against the team that started it. Henríquez gave up one hit in a scoreless inning.
Baldelli said before the game that the move was “just to mess around” with Cash.
Minnesota third baseman Royce Lewis made his first career start and second appearance at second base as the Twins look to increase infield flexibility.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: CF Byron Buxton (right hip inflammation) was ejected after striking out in the third inning for Triple-A St. Paul in his second rehab game. Baldelli said the team is evaluating Buxton’s status. … OF Max Kepler (left knee soreness) missed his third straight game. No timetable for a return has been announced.
UP NEXT
Bradley (6-9, 4.35 ERA) will face Twins Pablo López (13-8, 4.05 ERA). After an eight-game stretch where Bradley went 5-0 and allowed two runs or fewer in each start, the right-hander is 0-5 with a 9.85 ERA over his last six outings.
“There’s a lot of factors,” Cash said. “There’s nothing that is sitting there telling us that his command, his location or his stuff is any different than what it was when he was the best pitcher in baseball for two months.”
