Larnach hits a 3-run homer as the Twins beat the Rays 5-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Larnach and Brooks Lee homered to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Monday night.

The Twins earned a second straight victory for the first time since they won three in a row from Aug. 15-17. They remained 3 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland and moved a game ahead of Kansas City for the AL’s second wild-card spot.

Five Minnesota relievers combined for 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Jorge Alcala (4-3) got four outs for the win, and Jhoan Duran handled the ninth for his 21st save in 23 chances.

“We needed a lot of guys to come in and pitch well. Ultimately it was a very good, overall, communal team win,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “There were a lot of calls to the bullpen. I called down there early and said it’s basically gonna be a bullpen kind of battle between both teams. Some of them were fresh, some of them were far from fresh, but we got the win.”

Playing in front of a Labor Day crowd of 11,636, Tampa Bay lost for the fourth time in five games.

Dylan Carlson drove in two runs for the Rays, and Jonny DeLuca hit his fifth homer of the season. Zack Littell (5-9) allowed four runs and seven hits in four innings.

Carlson’s two-run single gave the Rays a 2-1 lead in the first. But Larnach connected for a three-run shot in the second for his 15th homer.

“We’re not sitting here where we’re at without Trevor Larnach,” Baldelli said. “He’s hitting in a prominent spot in the lineup and he’s there for a reason.”

Lee went deep in the eighth against Garrett Cleavinger, hitting a drive to center for his third homer.

Littell walked four and struck out two in his return from the 15-day injured list after being sidelined by right shoulder fatigue.

“Physically I felt good, just obviously not very sharp,” Littell said. “Command wasn’t great. Missed a lot over the plate. I mean, four (walks) just doesn’t play.”

The Rays played without outfielder Jose Siri, who was away from the team on a personal matter. He is expected back on Tuesday.

Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up three runs and six hits.

“We got a win, right? You won’t hear any complaining from me,” said Woods Richardson, who threw 71 pitches. “It’s not ideal, but we got the win.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: OF Byron Buxton, out since Aug. 15 with right hip inflammation, went 1 for 3 with a walk in his first game of a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul. ... OF Manuel Margot, on the IL with a right groin strain, will be shut down for five to seven days with a minor strain of the right abductor tendon. ... OF Max Kepler was scratched because of left knee soreness.

UP NEXT

RHP David Festa (2-4, 4.89 ERA) will pitch Tuesday night for the Twins against LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-2, 3.67 ERA).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Dick Scanlon, The Associated Press