Springs pitches 6 sharp innings as the Rays top the Twins 2-1

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Tampa Bay Rays narrowly edged out the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Tuesday night, showcasing some key performances that secured the victory. Jeffrey Springs pitched a season-high six innings, allowing just one run and four hits while striking out four and walking two. His strong performance was instrumental in keeping the Twins at bay.

In his big league debut, Logan Driscoll made an impact with a crucial run-scoring single in the fourth inning. This hit gave the Rays a 2-1 lead, proving to be the game-winner. Edwin Uceta contributed in the ninth inning, striking out two batters after allowing consecutive singles, before handing the game over to Garrett Cleavinger, who earned his fifth save by retiring Christian Vázquez.

Carlos Santana hit a leadoff homer for the Twins in the second inning, his 19th of the season, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win for Minnesota, which is currently holding onto the second AL wild card spot. Despite their strong position, they face significant competition from teams like Seattle, Detroit, and Boston.

The game was attended by a season-low crowd of 10,531 at Tropicana Field, reflecting the Rays’ ongoing struggles with attendance. The Rays have one of the lowest attendance averages in Major League Baseball, ahead of only Miami and Oakland.

Minnesota’s David Festa had a solid outing, giving up five hits and striking out seven in his five innings on the mound. Twins rookie Michael Helman also made his mark with his first big league hit.

Looking ahead, the Rays will send Tyler Alexander (5-4, 5.48 ERA) to the mound on Wednesday night, following opener Cole Sulser. The Twins will counter with RHP Ronny Henriquez (1-0) as their opener, with a potential follow-up from RHP Louie Varland (0-5, 6.14 ERA) who might be recalled from Triple-A St. Paul.