The Tampa Bay Rays tried to stay in the AL wild-card race Tuesday night when they returned home to Tropicana Field.
It didn’t go so well.
The Rays were trounced, 11-7, by the Minnesota Twins, giving up a three-run, a two-run and a solo homer along the way. Minnesota scored 10 times in the first five innings and ran away with the game.
The Rays fell 3 ½ games back in their chase for the second AL wild card, and two games behind the Twins.
Nathan Karns started for the Rays and gave up three runs in the first and two more in the third. Matt Andriese also gave up five runs in three innings of pitching. The Rays had led the majors with 80 games in which their starting pitching had allowed two runs or fewer.
The Rays had 13 hits, but they left 12 men on base and struck out 11 times in the game. Kevin Kiermaier had three hits and stole two bases for the Rays.
Chris Archer starts for the Rays tonight against the Twins’ Tyler Duffey.
