Polanco’s sac fly in ninth lifts Twins over Rays 5-4

Jorge Polanco hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Sunday.

Max Kepler led off the ninth against Matt Wisler (3-5) with a double and moved to third when Austin Meadows misplayed the ball in left field. Polanco then hit a drive that was caught on the right-field warning track, scoring Kepler without a throw.

Alexander Colomé (3-4) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Twins, who won their third straight series, all against first-place teams. They took three of four at Houston last weekend and began their current nine-game homestand by winning two of three against both the White Sox and the Rays.

Mike Zunino and Wander Franco homered for the Rays.

Rays starter Luis Patiño walked five batters in three innings, and his control problems got him into trouble immediately. After Kepler and Polanco walked leading off the first, Josh Donaldson drove in a run with a base hit.

A second run came across when Trevor Larnach beat out a potential double-play ball, giving the Twins a 2–0 lead after an inning.

Minnesota stretched its lead to 4-0 in the fourth thanks to another wild spell by Rays pitchers. Ryan Sherriff got the first two outs before Kepler and Polanco each walked again. Donaldson scored them both with a double into the left-field corner.

Rookie left-hander Charlie Barnes, making just his third major league start, held the Rays in check until Zunino homered in the fifth. The solo shot was his 25th of the season, tying a career high, and gave him homers in four straight games.

Franco cut the lead to 4-3 with a two-run homer to right off Edgar García in the sixth, and the Rays tied it on Randy Arozarena’s RBI single in the seventh.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: 1B Yandy Díaz (sprained left thumb) missed his second straight game, though manager Kevin Cash said he did swing a bat Sunday and was available off the bench if necessary.

Twins: RHP Jorge Alcala (sore triceps) played some light catch Sunday for the first time since going on the IL Aug. 9. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Alcala was feeling “a lot better” and indicated that the injury appeared to be more of a “scare” than a long-term issue.

UP NEXT

Rays: Tampa Bay returns home to face RHP Matt Harvey (6-11, 6.10) and the Orioles in the opener of a four-game series on Monday. The Rays have not announced a starting pitcher.

Twins: Minnesota continues its homestand with a three-game series against Cleveland that begins on Monday. The Twins will send RHP Griffin Jax (3-1, 5.45) to the mound against RHP Cal Quantrill (3-2, 3.13).