04/03/26 07:47:00
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04/03 19:45 CDT Twins win their home opener 10-4 over the Rays behind Tristan
Gray's first grand slam
Twins win their home opener 10-4 over the Rays behind Tristan Gray's first
grand slam
By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --- Tristan Gray hit his first career grand slam to cap a
seven-run seventh inning for the Minnesota Twins in a cold and rainy 10-4
home-opener victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Gray's one-out line drive off a 1-1 cutter from Yeondrys Gmez was just high
enough to clear the 23-foot wall in right field, after Kevin Kelly (0-1)
finished a rough relief appearance with consecutive bases-loaded walks.
Josh Bell had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins, including the tiebreaking
single in the seventh. Kelly started that inning by hitting Byron Buxton in the
right forearm with a pitch, forcing the All-Star center fielder out of the
game. The Twins announced X-rays showed no fracture.
Gray, who also had a sacrifice fly, grabbed the last available roster spot on
opening day as a backup infielder. He homered three times in 30 games for the
Rays last season.
After a soggy afternoon and a downtown power outage, the game started an hour
late with a first-pitch temperature of 38 degrees and finished in hard rain.
With Joe Boyle at 6-foot-8 for the Rays and Bailey Ober at 6-foot-9 for the
Twins, the starting pitchers would have made quite a frontcourt matchup in a
pickup basketball game. The duel on the mound was so-so.
Ober lasted four innings for the second straight start, falling behind after a
two-out, two-run single by Nick Fortes in the first and a two-out, run-scoring
double by Ben Williamson in the fourth.
Boyle had nine strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings, but Williamson flubbed a
tailor-made double-play grounder to shortstop that would've preserved a 3-1
lead to end the fourth. The Rays made three errors and lead the major leagues
with 10, six by third baseman Junior Caminero.
Kody Funderburk (1-1) got the final out in the top of the seventh to earn the
win.
Up next
LHP Steven Matz starts for Tampa Bay on Saturday against Minnesota RHP Mick
Abel.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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