FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Twins starter Vance Worley allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs in Minnesota’s 11-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
Worley’s spring ERA rose to 13.50 and didn’t get through the third inning.
Among eight Twins out of minor-league options, Worley is battling fellow right-handers Sam Deduno and Kyle Gibson and left-hander Scott Diamond for the final rotation spot.
“First inning I wasn’t able to get the ball down in the zone, and they hit the ball pretty much everywhere,” Worley said. “Third inning, we thought we had everything on the right path, and everything unraveled again.”
STARTING TIME
Rays: Left-hander Matt Moore issued six walks in 4 2/3 innings but allowed just one run and was encourage by his outing amid a rocky spring.
“Everything did feel good, so minus the six walks, a solid day,” Moore said. “But those are definitely a black mark.”
Twins: Worley, acquired from Philadelphia two offseasons ago in a trade that cost the Twins starting outfielder Ben Revere, fell behind on the first pitch to nine of 19 batters.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Right fielder Wil Myers returned to the lineup for the first time since fouling a ball off his right leg on Saturday. Myers, who came in hitting .154 this spring, doubled three straight times off Worley and lifted his average to .233.
Twins: Shortstop Pedro Florimon made his Grapefruit League debut just over one month after undergoing an appendectomy. Florimon had played a total of eight innings on the minor-league side, then had his scheduled debut on Monday rained out in Sarasota.
Against the Rays he went 0 for 3 and played six innings in the field, making a nice play behind the bag to throw out a runner at first.
HUGHES
Twins right-hander Phil Hughes remained on target to start the home opener against Oakland on April 7 with a six-inning outing on Tuesday against Class A Frederick of the Baltimore Orioles’ system.
Starting for high-Class A Fort Myers, Hughes allowed four hits and a walk while striking out seven. He threw 55 of his 73 pitches for strikes.
Hughes, signed to a three-year, $24 million contract this offseason, had posted a 1.04 ERA in his first three official Grapefruit League starts.
“I couldn’t have been more pleased,” Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson said. “Man, it was fun to watch.”
ONE SPOT
Rays manager Joe Maddon indicated the fifth starter would be named after each of the three remaining candidates made one more start.
Lefty Cesar Ramos and right-hander Jake Odorizzi are scheduled to pitch on Thursday against the Twins in Port Charlotte. Veteran lefty Erik Bedard is scheduled to start Friday against Toronto.
After the game, the Rays reassigned to minor-league camp catcher Eddie Rodriguez and outfielder Jeremy Moore.
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