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Shoppach, Damon power Rays over Twins

Apr 16, 2011 - 4:14 AM St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Kelly Shoppach belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh while Johnny Damon hit a two-RBI single in the sixth, as the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Minnesota Twins, 5-2, in the second installment of a four-game set

Sam Fuld went 3-for-4 with a double and run scored for the Rays, who have won four straight.

Wade Davis (1-2) pitched seven innings to get the win. He allowed one run on four hits while yielding two walks. Tampa Bay used four pitchers in the ninth inning, however, and Kyle Farnsworth recorded the final out to get his third save of the season.

Nick Blackburn (1-2) took the loss for surrendering all five runs on 10 hits in six-plus innings, striking out six. Danny Valencia hit an RBI double in the fifth inning and Jason Kubel scored on a fielder's choice in the ninth.

Minnesota has now dropped five of six.

The Twins got on the board when Valencia roped a one-out double to center that scored Jim Thome from first. Thome led off the frame with a walk.

The Rays sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth, scoring three runs in the process. Damon plated Reid Brignac and Fuld with a one-out single, and three batters later B.J. Upton scored Damon on a double to left.

After Davis set the Twins down in order in the top of the seventh, Shoppach hit his first homer of the season, over the left field wall, to put Tampa Bay up 5-1.

"Big hit right there," Rays coach Joe Madden said of Shoppach's homer. "It was still a close game until that. He got that hit and it opened things up."

Joel Peralta pitched a hitless eighth inning, and after Cesar Ramos began the ninth for the Rays, Minnesota began an attempt at a comeback.

After walking Kubel to begin the frame, Ramos got Justin Morneau to fly out to left. Juan Cruz was sent in for the Rays, but was then pulled after walking Delmon Young. Tampa Bay's third pitcher of the inning, Jake McGee, got Thome to ground into a fielder's choice, which allowed Kubel to score from third, and Thome was safe at first on a Brignac throwing error to first base.

Farnsworth then entered the game, and struck out Michael Cuddyer swinging to end the game.

Game Notes

The Twins played without catcher Joe Mauer, who was placed on the disabled list on Thursday with bilateral leg weakness...The Rays took five of eight from the Twins last season...The Twins went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while stranding five...Game three of the series will see Scott Baker take the hill for Minnesota. He will face Jeff Niemann.