Chris Archer allowed just one hit while pitching into the fourth inning, and Willy Adames‘ two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning would break a 5-5 tie, allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to hold on Wednesday to a 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins at Charlotte Sports Park, snapping a five-game Grapefruit League losing skid.
Archer’s only hit allowed was a solo home run hit by Andrelton Simmons in the top of the second inning, which tied the game at 1-1. The right-hander walked one and struck out a pair in 3.1 innings, throwing 51 pitches.
Austin Meadows had started the scoring in the previous half-inning against Michael Pineda with a RBI single that scored Manuel Margot, who had doubled in front of him.
Tampa Bay broke the tie in the bottom of the third, as Yoshi Tsutsugo led off with a base hit, followed by Margot singling him up a base. After Meadows popped out and Brandon Lowe flied to left, Yandy Diaz‘s single scored Tsutsugo, and when Brent Rooker‘s throw went wide to third base where no defender was covering the bag, Margot was able to make it 3-1.
Joey Wendle followed with a two-run homer and the Rays had a four-run lead.
After Archer exited in the fourth, Minnesota would get back into the game with a two-run homer by Ryan Jeffers off Joey Krehbiel.
Nick Anderson allowed the Twins to tie the game in the sixth with an RBI single by Jorge Polanco and a ground rule double by Willians Astudillo. But Adames countered in the bottom of the inning with a two-run blast over the visiting bullpen in left.
Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot off Ryan Thompson in the eighth to cut the lead back to one run, but Minnesota was able to get no closer.
Tampa Bay will look to make it two wins in a row Thursday as they head to CoolToday Park in North Port for another matchup with the Atlanta Braves. Michael Wacha (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the start, taking on for Ray left-hander Drew Smyly (0-1, 11.25 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
