Jonny DeLuca provides the offense and Jose Siri the defense in 10th as the Rays beat the Twins 7-6

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – In the 10th inning, Jonny DeLuca’s sharp single to center field and a precise throw by center fielder Jose Siri sealed Tampa Bay’s 7-6 triumph over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. The victory came after the Rays squandered a four-run lead earlier in the game.

DeLuca’s clutch hit off Griffin Jax, scoring Taylor Walls who started as the automatic runner, proved decisive for the Rays. Tampa Bay, now 36-39, maintains its MLB-leading record of 26-11 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

In a pivotal moment in the bottom of the 10th, Siri sprinted to right-center field, catching a fly ball from pinch hitter Carlos Correa and swiftly firing to third base to double off Royce Lewis, who was attempting to advance. The play was hailed by teammate Richie Palacios as reminiscent of a “gold glove” effort.

Pete Fairbanks, the Rays’ closer, secured the win by inducing a fly out from Carlos Santana to end the game. The contest was tightly contested throughout a rainy afternoon, with Tampa Bay and Minnesota (41-34) deadlocked for most of the game.

The Twins rallied in the ninth, with Jose Miranda and Carlos Santana blasting home runs to erase a 6-2 deficit. However, Fairbanks recovered after the setback, earning the win despite Miranda’s game-tying three-run shot.

The Rays seized control in the eighth when Amed Rosario’s pinch-hit double broke a 2-2 tie, scoring Palacios who had pinch-run for Isaac Paredes. Siri and Yandy Díaz added insurance with homers in the ninth off Jay Jackson, seemingly securing Tampa Bay’s victory before Minnesota’s late surge.

Pitching played a pivotal role, with Rays starter Zack Littell and Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson battling through challenging innings. Lewis contributed significantly for the Twins with a third-inning homer, his ninth in just 15 games.

Looking ahead, Tampa Bay’s Ryan Pepiot (4-4, 4.57 ERA) is slated to start against Pittsburgh, while Minnesota begins a challenging road trip against Oakland, Arizona, and Seattle with Chris Paddack (5-3, 5.25 ERA) on the mound against the Athletics’ Joey Estes (2-2, 5.97 ERA) on Friday.