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Longoria homers again, Rays beat Twins 7-4
- Updated: June 4, 2016
Evan Longoria homered for the third straight game, and Matt Andriese worked five innings in a rain-shortened start to pick up his fourth win as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 7-4 on Saturday.
Longoria’s fifth-inning home run was one of four for the Rays on the cloudy day, and the second of three allowed by Twins starter Ervin Santana (1-5). Steven Souza Jr.’s three-run shot off Santana in the fourth put the Rays ahead for good, and Logan Morrison’s two-run homer in the seventh against Michael Tonkin put the game out of reach to give Tampa Bay its second consecutive win.
Hank Conger — who came in hitting .188 with one homer — had a solo shot in the third. Minnesota has given up the second-most homers in the majors this year (78).
Andriese (4-0) allowed three runs, one unearned, off eight hits through five innings — his shortest start this season, thanks in part to a 70-minute rain delay in the sixth.
Santana looked sharp early before Souza’s two-out homer with runners on the corners. Minnesota was leading 3-1 when Souza sent a high slider from Santana an estimated 405 feet into the left-field seats.
Andriese nearly gave the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning, but worked out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing Eduardo Nunez into a double play. Longoria provided some insurance the next inning with his 12th homer. It’s the first time since August 2013 that Longoria has homered in three straight games.
Brian Dozier drove in a pair of runs for the last-place Twins, and Nunez also had two hits and scored two runs. Santana worked six innings and allowed five runs off six hits and three walks.
Joe Mauer had an RBI single off Alex Colome in the ninth after Tyler Sturdevant allowed two batters to reach with two outs. Colome ended any hope of a rally by striking out Dozier.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: DH Steve Pearce went 1 for 4 in his return to the lineup after missing three straight games with right elbow tendinitis. Manager Kevin Cash said he would check in with Pearce after the game to determine how to use him Sunday. “If he needs to DH, he’ll DH,” Cash said. “But our lineup works better with him in the field, obviously. We’ll talk and see how he gets through these at-bats today.”
Twins: GM Terry Ryan said closer Glen Perkins (shoulder) did well throwing a bullpen session before the game. “So far, so good,” Ryan said, adding Perkins would throw another session Tuesday. “It’s a good sight,” manager Paul Molitor said to reporters while watching a live video feed of Perkins’ session from his clubhouse office. . Ryan said pitching prospect Alex Meyer was headed to the DL Saturday with shoulder inflammation. Meyer hasn’t pitched since being optioned to Triple-A Rochester last month and is seeking a second opinion on his injury.
