ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Twins rolled into Tropicana Field Friday with a seven-game winning streak and a handful of familiar faces, including former Rays such as manager Rocco Baldelli and pitchers Chris Archer, Emilio Pagan and Joe Ryan.
Two players new to the Rays this year cooled them off with key roles in Tampa Bay’s 6-1 victory before a Friday night crowd of just 9,928.
Veteran Corey Kluber bounced back from a rough previous start to provide six sterling innings, allowing just one hit.
Rookie outfielder Josh Lowe, added to the roster following the late spring trade of Austin Meadows, delivered his first home run, a three-run shot in the first as the Rays took a 4-0 lead.
The Rays (12-8) immediately jumped on Twins starter Dylan Bundy, who had allowed just one run over his first three starts, covering 15 1/3 innings.
Brandon Lowe, who came into the game in a rough 5-for-44 slump, led off with a double. Wander Franco blooped a ball just inside the left-field line for an RBI double. Yandy Diaz singled, and then Josh Lowe delivered his blast to center field.
The Rays added a run in the second when Taylor Walls walked, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on Diaz’s single. They picked up another in the third when Zunino, back in the lineup for the first time since leaving Tuesday’s game with a left biceps strain, hit his first homer of the season.
Kluber allowed 11 hits and four runs over five innings in an April 22 start against the Red Sox but said he pitched better than the box score indicated.
He showed that Friday, retiring the first nine Twins before hitting Byron Buxton to open the fourth and allowing a one-out RBI single. His stat line was reflective of his work this time, as he allowed just the one hit with no walks while striking out six over six innings.
Relievers Javy Guerra and Phoenix Sanders finished as the Rays allowed two or fewer earned runs for the sixth straight game, their longest such streak since a seven-game run in early 2019.
