Rays 3, Twins 0
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Tampa Bay Rays stung the Minnesota Twins with a 3-0 win at Target Field on Friday night.
The temperatures dipped into the low 60s and the Minnesota bats cooled along with them, as the Twins collected just five hits in the game.
Tampa starter Chris Archer was the hottest pitcher of the night, shutting out the Twins for six innings. He threw 87 pitches, allowing no runs on three hits and with seven strikeouts. He did not issue a walk.
Twins starter Kevin Correia labored but lasted six-plus innings, giving up three runs on eight hits, one walk and five strike outs.
The Rays picked away at Correia for a couple of early runs and took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning. Tampa had a golden opportunity to blow the game open when back-to-back doubles by Jose Molina and Yunel Escobar to open the inning gave the Rays a 3-0 lead.
David DeJesus followed with a single and with runners on the corners, Ben Zobrist attempted a safety-squeeze bunt. His attempt was popped up and Escobar was doubled up at third. DeJesus was then picked off first and the Twins escaped giving up only one run.
Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar faced one batter in the inning and got three outs.
But the Twins' offense could never get anything going, only once having more than one runner on base at a time. Twins batters struck out 11 times -- the 55th time this season they've had double-digit whiffs.
Fernando Rodney came on in the ninth to pick up his 35th save.
The Rays got on the board in the second after Wil Myers hit a double off the glove of right fielder Clete Thomas, who misplayed the ball heading toward the gap. Desmond Jennings singled home Myers.
In the third, Escobar led off with a double and scored on a James Loney single.
Archer bottled up the Twins in the early going, giving up just three hits in the first five innings and striking out six.
Correia was solid early on, keeping the Twins in the game. He struck out five and walked one, but got into a lot of deep counts and threw 76 pitches in five innings.
NOTES: Through Thursday, the Rays had committed 54 errors in 145 games this season (compared to 102 in 2012). That is the second fewest in MLB behind the Orioles (42). ... The Twins have committed 67 errors this season, fourth in the majors. ... The Twins starting staff has combined to walk 243 batters this season, second fewest in the AL. Correia entered the game with 39 walks, the seventh fewest in the AL. ... Zobrist's walk against Correia in the fifth inning was his 461st in a Ray uniform, moving him past Carlos Pena for the most in team history.
