Twins 4 - 1 Rays
Final
  for this game

Twins look to keep playoff hopes alive vs. Rays

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:28 AM Minnesota (83-72) at Tampa Bay (92-61) 1:40 p.m. EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Twins will have the advantage of trying to keep their playoff hopes alive against a team that probably will be short on sleep.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the first postseason berth in franchise history on Saturday, setting off a raucous celebration that likely lasted late into the night. The Twins will attempt to take advantage of that when the teams meet on Sunday.

Minnesota sits 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox (85-69) in the American League Central with seven remaining.

If the Twins are feeling a sense of urgency, they sure aren't playing like it, dropping six of their last seven. After the finale against Tampa Bay, Minnesota hosts Chicago in a three-game set that will likely determine its fate.

Andy Sonnanstine (13-7, 4.33 ERA) will take his sixth shot at matching the franchise record with his 14th win . The 25-year-old righthander sits behind Rolando Arrojo's 1998 campaign on the Tampa Bay leader board.

Sonnanstine has been brilliant in his last two starts, allowing no earned runs and seven hits in 13 combined frames - taking no-decisions against the Boston Red Sox in each.

The Twins will try to keep their playoff hopes alive behind Francisco Liriano (5-3, 3.62). The ace lefthander is coming off his worst start since returning from the minors on August 3, surrendering eight runs in 2 2/3 at Cleveland.

Prior to that outing, Liriano had been 5-0 with a 1.57 ERA and a .194 batting average against in eight starts.








  • AL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    MINNESOTA 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 7 0
    TAMPA BAY 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: MIN - FRANCISCO LIRIANO, JOSE MIJARES (8TH), JOE NATHAN (9TH) AND
    MIKE REDMOND
    TAM - ANDY SONNANSTINE, TREVER MILLER (7TH), TROY
    PERCIVAL (8TH), JASON HAMMEL (9TH)

    Sep 21 4:15 PM


  • AL
    AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY CARLOS GOMEZ SCORED ADAM EVERETT.
    SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, C GOMEZ ON FIRST, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 4
    TAMPA BAY 1 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: D SPAN (.298, 0-FOR-2)

    Twins 4, Rays 1  Top 4, 0 OutsSep 21 2:48 PM


  • AL
    AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY ADAM EVERETT SCORED JUSTIN MORNEAU. ERROR BY EVAN
    LONGORIA ALLOWED MIKE REDMOND TO SCORE.
    SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, A EVERETT ON THIRD, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3
    TAMPA BAY 1 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: C GOMEZ (.255, 0-FOR-0, BB)

    Twins 3, Rays 1  Top 4, 0 OutsSep 21 2:47 PM


  • AL
    AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY MIKE REDMOND SCORED JOE MAUER.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M REDMOND ON FIRST, J MORNEAU ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 1
    TAMPA BAY 1 TOP, 4TH
    DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: B BUSCHER (.305, 0-FOR-1)

    Twins 1, Rays 1  Top 4, 0 OutsSep 21 2:37 PM


  • AL
    AT TAMPA BAY - SCORING UPDATE
    SACRIFICE FLY BY CARLOS PENA SCORED MICHEL HERNANDEZ.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B ZOBRIST ON FIRST, B UPTON ON SECOND, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 0
    TAMPA BAY 1 BOTTOM, 3RD
    DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E LONGORIA (.280, 0-FOR-1)

    Twins 0, Rays 1  Bot 3, 0 OutsSep 21 2:28 PM
  • 5
    roots
    GREGnKY Added 5 roots

    Twins vs. RaysSep 21 10:27 AM

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