ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda each hit two home runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 on Friday night to take the first game of the series.
Caminero hit his seventh of the year, a solo shot to center field in the second inning. He added a two-run homer in the seventh to make it 6-1.
Aranda's home runs came in the fourth and sixth innings. Chandler Simpson and Nick Fortes both scored runs.
Brooks Lee
hit a home run for the Twins in the fifth.
Drew Rasmussen (2-0) threw 98 pitches and allowed one earned run over five innings. He finished with six strikeouts and a walk. Reliever Trevor Martin gave up a home run to Royce Lewis in the ninth, then hits to the next two batters before being pulled for Bryan Baker. Baker got the final three outs for his fifth save.
Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley (3-1) took the mound in his first start against his former team. The Rays traded Bradley at the deadline last season. He pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed six earned runs with seven hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Coming into the game, he had not given up a home run all season.
The Rays and Twins resume their three-game series Saturday. Shane McClanahan (1-2, 5.00 ERA) will take the mound for Tampa Bay, opposite Bailey Ober (2-0, 4.15) for Minnesota.
___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
