Bullpen preserves narrow lead, helps Twins nip Rays, 5-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Trevor Larnach and Brooks Lee homered during the Twins’ 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, but it was the bullpen that did the heavy lifting.

The Twins bullpen, a group that entered Monday with a collective 5.10 ERA since the All-Star break, was asked to cover 16 outs with a small lead. That included Jorge Alcala pitching for the first time in five days amid his worst stretch of the season. Ronny Henriquez was called upon to pitch in a one-run game.

Facing a desperate Rays team looking to climb back into the playoff race, the Twins bullpen combined to give up one run in 5 1/3 innings. Cole Sands surrendered a solo homer with a two-run lead in the eighth inning, but the rest of the bullpen was essentially flawless before Jhoan Duran secured his 21st save of the season.

The Twins remain 3 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the American League Central standings, but they’re up a game on Kansas City, which has lost six straight games.

Larnach gave the Twins a two-run lead in the second inning when he scorched a three-run homer over the right-field wall against former Twins pitcher Zack Littell. Larnach’s line drive left his bat at 112.5 mph and appeared to strike a fan in the head.

Lee, playing in his second game since returning from the injured list, added a solo homer in the eighth inning, connecting on a down-the-middle cutter from Rays lefty Garrett Cleavinger. It was the switch-hitting Lee’s first career homer as a right-handed batter.

Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson labored through 3 2/3 innings, requiring 71 pitches to record 11 outs. With two outs in the first inning, he issued a walk to Junior Caminero and allowed a single to Josh Lowe. Dylan Carlson cleared the bases when he lined a change-up to right field for a two-run single.

The Rays opened the third inning with a single from Brandon Lowe and an RBI double from Caminero when they connected on Woods Richardson’s slider. Woods Richardson escaped further damage with two infield pop-ups and a groundout.

Woods Richardson, who threw a first-pitch strike to 11 of his 19 batters, has completed fewer than five innings in five of his last nine starts. With a slight downtick in velocity Monday, Woods Richardson had solid results with his fastball, but his off-speed pitches didn’t generate many swings and misses.

Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli, who notched his 450th career win, turned to the bullpen once Woods Richardson faced the top of the Rays lineup for the third time. Woods Richardson nearly finished the fourth inning with a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play, but after a replay review reversed an out call at second base, Alcala emerged from the bullpen.

Alcala, who has allowed nine hits and seven runs in his last 2 2/3 innings, stranded a runner at second base with a strikeout in the fourth inning, then stranded two more runners with a called third strike in the fifth inning.

After Henriquez pitched a clean sixth inning, Griffin Jax struck out two batters in the seventh. After Lee provided his insurance run, Sands and Duran finished it out.

Edouard Julien and Christian Vázquez, the bottom two batters in the Twins lineup, set up Larnach’s two-out homer when they reached base against Littell with a single and a walk. After Willi Castro struck out, Larnach connected on an elevated slider. It was his hardest-hit homer since 2021, according to Statcast.

In the first inning, Royce Lewis slashed an RBI double down the third-base line to score Larnach, who drew a walk. Littell permitted seven hits and four walks in four innings.

The Twins have won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Aug. 15-17.