The Minnesota Twins lost their second game in a row, post-All-Star Game, to the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday night at Target Field.
RECAP: #MNTwins drop Game 2 at home to the Rays, 5-1. http://t.co/zIKFrCj4DR pic.twitter.com/Pit5R0wsdr
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 20, 2014
Tampa Bay starter David Price handcuffed the Twins, throwing eight shutout innings, allowing only four hits and striking out nine batters, MLB.com reports.
Price (10-7) faced a scoring threat only once in the fifth inning, when he gave up singles to Chris Parmelee and Eduardo Escobar before Eduardo Nunez grounded into an inning-ending double play, according to the Associated Press.
Twins starter Phil Hughes had a tougher night. Hughes (10-6) allowed five runs and 11 hits over seven innings, and he’s 3-4 with a 5.63 ERA in his last seven starts, the AP notes.
Tampa Bay took a 3-0 lead in the second when Jose Molina drove in a run on a single, and Sean Rodriguez blasted a two-run homer into the second deck in left field.
Molina and Rodriguez each drove in runs in the seventh to make it 5-0. Minnesota scored its only run in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Kurt Suzuki.
The two teams close out the series Sunday afternoon. Kevin Correia will be on the mound for the Twins, and Tampa Bay will start Chris Archer.
Before Saturday’s game, first baseman Joe Mauer took some grounders in his first baseball drills since going on the disabled list on July 2 with a strained right oblique muscle. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Mauer is not yet ready to take batting practice, according to the AP.
