Final
for this game
Rays pushing toward playoffs, while Twins fading
Sep 18, 2008 - 10:19 AM Minnesota (82-70) at Tampa Bay (90-60) 7:10 p.m. EDTST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Rays continue to have a strong grasp on the American League East lead, while the Minnesota Twins are just hoping to hang on to their playoff hopes.
Tampa Bay and Minnesota open a four-game series at Tropicana Field on Thursday.
The Rays are coming off a series where they took two out of three from the Boston Red Sox (89-63) and enter the game with a two-game lead over the defending World Series Champions in their division.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has lost four straight and was swept in Cleveland to fall 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox (84-67) in the American League Central.
Tampa Bay can officially clinch the first playoff spot in franchise history if it wins two games against Minnesota.
James Shields (13-8, 3.50 ERA) looks to get Tampa Bay one step closer to the postseason. The righthander, who is 9-2 at home this season, pitched eight scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on Saturday to win his career-best 13th game.
The Twins will counter with rookie lefthander Glen Perkins (12-4, 4.40). The 25-year-old endured the shortest start of his career on Saturday, giving up six runs over three innings against Baltimore.
It will be the final home series for the Rays, who are a major league-best 55-22 at Tropicana Field this season.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
MINNESOTA 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 5 11 15 1
TAMPA BAY 5 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 8 9 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: MIN - GLEN PERKINS, PHILIP HUMBER (1ST), BOBBY KORECKY (7TH), EDDIE
GUARDADO (8TH), JOE NATHAN (9TH) AND JOE MAUER
TAM - JAMES SHIELDS, DAVID PRICE (7TH), TROY PERC
Sep 18 10:31 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY MATT TOLBERT SCORED ADAM EVERETT.
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, D YOUNG ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 11
TAMPA BAY 8 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: N PUNTO (.289, 1-FOR-4)
Twins 11, Rays 8 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 18 10:23 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DELMON YOUNG SCORED JUSTIN MORNEAU.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, D YOUNG ON FIRST, A EVERETT ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 10
TAMPA BAY 8 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: M TOLBERT (.275, 0-FOR-4)
Twins 10, Rays 8 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 18 10:21 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY ADAM EVERETT SCORED JOE MAUER.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, A EVERETT ON SECOND, J MORNEAU ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 9
TAMPA BAY 8 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: D YOUNG (.287, 1-FOR-4)
Twins 9, Rays 8 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 18 10:16 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY ALEXI CASILLA (7) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 9TH OFF DAN WHEELER SCORED DENARD SPAN.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 8, TAMPA BAY 8
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: J MAUER (.326, 2-FOR-3, BB, 3 RBI)
Twins 8, Rays 8 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 18 10:05 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (25) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 7TH OFF BOBBY KORECKY.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 6, TAMPA BAY 8
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: R BALDELLI (.267, 0-FOR-3)
Twins 6, Rays 8 Bot 7, 0 OutsSep 18 9:27 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOE MAUER SCORED CARLOS GOMEZ AND DENARD SPAN.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J MAUER ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 6
TAMPA BAY 7 TOP, 7TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: J MORNEAU (.311, 1-FOR-3)
Twins 6, Rays 7 Top 7, 0 OutsSep 18 9:19 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (24) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 4TH OFF PHILIP HUMBER.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 4, TAMPA BAY 7
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: R BALDELLI (.271, 0-FOR-2)
Twins 4, Rays 7 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 18 8:32 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY CARLOS PENA (30) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 2
OUT IN THE 4TH OFF PHILIP HUMBER.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 4, TAMPA BAY 6
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.278, 1-FOR-2, HR, 2 RBI)
Twins 4, Rays 6 Bot 4, 0 OutsSep 18 8:31 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOE MAUER SCORED ALEXI CASILLA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J MAUER ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 4
TAMPA BAY 5 TOP, 3RD
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: J MORNEAU (.310, 0-FOR-1)
Twins 4, Rays 5 Top 3, 0 OutsSep 18 8:05 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY DIONER NAVARRO (7) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 1ST OFF GLEN PERKINS SCORED ROCCO BALDELLI.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3, TAMPA BAY 4
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B ZOBRIST (.225, 8 HR, 23 RBI)
Twins 3, Rays 4 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 18 7:36 PM - AL
AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY EVAN LONGORIA (23) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 1ST OFF GLEN PERKINS SCORED AKINORI IWAMURA.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3, TAMPA BAY 2
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: R BALDELLI (.281, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
Twins 3, Rays 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 18 7:30 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
MINNESOTA 3 3 2 0
TAMPA BAY 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: MIN - GLEN PERKINS
TAM - JAMES SHIELDS
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: A IWAMURA (.277, 6 HR, 43 RBI)
J BARTLETT (.278, 1 HR, 31 RBI)
C PENA (.246, 29 HR, 91 R
Twins 3, Rays 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 18 7:20 PM
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