Justin Morneau hit his first road home run of the season but the Rays took down the Twins in game one of a four-game series, 7-4 Monday night in Tampa Bay.
Twins starter Sam Deduno gave up three runs over six quality innings before giving up a homer to Yunel Escobar and a triple to Desmond Jennings to start the seventh. He was replaced by Caleb Thielbar, who struck out the first batter he faced before giving up a two-run homer to Ben Zobrist.
Thielbar started his MLB career with 19 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run before Zobrist’s big fly.
Trailing 2-1 in the fourth, Morneau ripped a hanging breaking pitch over the right-field fence for a solo home run, his seventh of the season and fourth in the last nine games.
Aaron Hicks went 4-4 and finished a home run shy of the cycle. He tripled, singled and doubled twice.
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July has been unkind to the Twins. They are 1-7 this month.
At 37-49, the Twins are now a season-worst 12 games under .500.
