Brooks Lee executed a perfectly-placed squeeze bunt up the first base line, allowing Byron Buxton to jog home, as the Minnesota Twins celebrated a walkoff victory over the Tampa Bay Rays for the second consecutive day at Target Field on Saturday afternoon. This thrilling win came after Buxton initiated the bottom of the ninth inning by drawing a walk despite being down 0-2 in the count.
Willi Castro followed by slapping a single through the right side, advancing Buxton to third base and setting the stage for Lee’s heroics. On a first-pitch fastball from Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger, Lee deftly rolled a bunt right over the first base bag, immediately being mobbed by his jubilant teammates.
Comeback Kings: Twins Rally Again
This victory marked another crucial come-from-behind triumph for the Twins, who had previously defeated the Rays with Harrison Bader’s second home run of the day serving as a walkoff on Friday afternoon. Trailing for much of Saturday’s game, the Twins orchestrated a significant sixth inning comeback, highlighted by a clutch swing from Kody Clemens.
Entering the sixth inning down 5-1, the Twins managed to knock Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley out of the game with a pair of singles. Kevin Kelly, who was seeking redemption after allowing Bader’s walkoff homer the day before, entered the game. However, Kelly surrendered an RBI single to Royce Lewis and an opposite-field three-run homer to Clemens, tying the game.
By the Numbers: This was Clemens’ tenth homer of the season, a testament to his pivotal role since being acquired from the Phillies in April.
Rookie Challenges and Bullpen Brilliance
The Twins initially fell behind due to a challenging MLB debut for bulk pitcher Travis Adams. After scoreless innings from Cole Sands and Danny Coulombe, Adams faced a tough initiation against the Rays’ lineup, allowing nine hits and five earned runs over four innings.
Despite these early setbacks, the Twins’ offense rallied to support their rookie pitcher, overcoming a four-run deficit. Griffin Jax delivered a scoreless seventh inning, while Jhoan Duran, for the first time all year, pitched two frames, stranding baserunners in both the eighth and ninth innings. Duran’s efforts culminated in getting Junior Caminero to fly out on his 34th pitch, the most he has thrown in a game since 2023.
Struggles and Milestones
Early in the game, the Twins had opportunities to seize control but continued to struggle with the bases loaded. With no outs and runners at every station, Lewis managed an RBI single to open the scoring. However, subsequent batters faltered, with Clemens striking out and Bader grounding out before Buxton’s fly out narrowly missed a grand slam.
Stat Spotlight: The Twins are currently 2 for their last 25 with the bases loaded, and just 12 for 65 all season, resulting in a .185 batting average—the worst in baseball.
Amidst these challenges, the victory marked the 500th win of manager Rocco Baldelli’s career. The Twins, now with a 43-46 record, aim to complete a series sweep over the Rays, who stand at 48-41, on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota ace Joe Ryan is set to pitch against Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. central time.
The announcement of this victory comes as the Twins continue to demonstrate resilience and determination, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the series.
