Monday, 4 a.m.
Turns out, it isn't so hard to mount a winning streak. Even for the Tampa Bay Rays.
All it takes is great starting pitching, strong relief pitching and timely hitting from an unlikely source. Just like that, and the Rays have won two in a row.
The Rays, 4-5 on the season, beat Minnesota 4-1 in 10 innings at Target Field on Sunday behind a two-run homer by Richie Palacious.
Palacious was hardly the designated slugger for the Rays. He was hitting just .100 coming in, and he played just 17 games because of injury last year. The most homers he had hit in a season was six.
Neither team hit the ball often during regulation. The Twins managed just one hit off Rays' starter Nike Martinez (six innings(. The Rays had just five off Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson.
The teams went into extra innings tied 1-1 on solo homers by Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero and Minnesota's Matt Wallner.
Palacious jumped on the second pitch he saw from Minnesota relieve Justin Topa in the 10th. Caminero later walked with the bases loaded.
Palacious had two hits for the Rays.
Rays’ manager Kevin Cash won his 900th game.
The Rays finally return to Tropicana Field at 4:10 today. against the Cubs. Shane McClanahan will start for the Rays against Chicago's Jameson Taillon.