Twins Aim for Sweep Against Rays in Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota – The Minnesota Twins are eager to complete a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays when they take the field on Sunday at Target Field. The Twins have won the first two games against the Rays in thrilling walk-off fashion.

On Friday night, Harrison Bader launched a home run to give the Twins a 4-3 victory in the ninth inning. The following day, Brooks Lee executed a game-winning squeeze bunt, securing a 6-5 triumph for Minnesota.

Lee expressed confidence, stating, “It’s great. We have the players to do it. We have the pitching to do it, too.” He also took a moment to celebrate his manager, Rocco Baldelli, who recently achieved his 500th career win.

“It’s awesome,” Lee said. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to talk about it, but we’re gonna.” The Twins are looking to replicate their success from mid-May when they swept the Baltimore Orioles.

In contrast, the Rays face scrutiny regarding their bullpen. Right-handed reliever Kevin Kelly and left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger both suffered losses in the recent games. Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged the struggles, saying, “Every mistake is probably magnified with guys on base. But we need them, we depend on them, they’re good, and better than they’ve shown the past couple of games.”

Rays infielder Brandon Lowe noted that the bullpen shouldn’t bear all the blame, stating, “If you cut out the last week, our bullpen’s been fantastic. They’re going through a tough stretch like hitters do.”

On the mound for the Twins will be Joe Ryan, who is 8-4 with a 2.75 ERA this season. He is coming off a tough 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins, during which he allowed only one run. Ryan has a solid track record against the Rays, with a 1-0 record and a 2.16 ERA in three career starts.

The Rays will counter with Drew Rasmussen, who has a 7-5 record and a 2.78 ERA. Rasmussen is looking to bounce back from a rough outing last week against the Athletics.

The matchup promises to showcase two strong pitchers, making for an exciting conclusion to the series as the Twins aim for their sweep.