Brooks Lee’s walk-off bunt single lifts Twins to 6-5 win over Rays

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brooks Lee drove in the game-ending run with a bunt single in the ninth inning on Saturday as the Minnesota Twins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5.

Garrett Cleavinger (0-4) walked Byron Buxton to start the ninth. Willi Castro followed with a single that moved Buxton to third.

Lee then bunted the first pitch up the first-base line. First baseman Yandy Díaz didn’t have a play on Buxton, so he let the ball go, and it rolled over the bag for a hit.

Danny Jansen singled, doubled and tripled for Tampa Bay, while Ryan Jeffers had three hits for the Twins, who walked off the Rays for the second straight day.

Jhoan Duran (5-3) pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Rays starter Taj Bradley worked out of some early trouble, then cruised through the middle innings, retiring 13 of 14 batters at one point. But he gave up a pair of singles in the sixth and the Rays went to their bullpen.

Kevin Kelly, who allowed Harrison Bader’s walk-off homer on Friday, gave up an RBI single to Lewis. Kody Clemens then hit an 0-1 pitch to deep left for his 10th homer to tie the game at 5-all.

Key moment

In the second inning, the Twins had the bases loaded with nobody out and a run in. But Bradley struck out Clemens and got an out at the plate on a dribbler to the mound. Buxton then missed a grand slam by inches, flying out to the wall in left field to end the inning.

Key stat

Brandon Lowe extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a single in the fifth inning. That ties the Rays franchise record, set by Díaz last season.

Up next

RHP Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 2.78 ERA) of the Rays will face Twins RHP Joe Ryan (8-4, 2.75) in Sunday’s series finale.

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