Yonny Chirinos pitched well into the sixth inning, Harold Ramírez homered during a three-run fourth inning, and the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep by beating the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Thursday.
Chirinos (3-1), recalled from Triple-A Durham before the game, allowed one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings in his first big-league appearance since April 29. Jason Adam, the third Rays reliever, worked the ninth to get his 10th save in 14 chances.
Tampa Bay is 29-6 at home, has won six in a row overall and is 46-19 on the season.
Carlos Correa, who returned Tuesday after missing three games after reaggravating plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and Michael A. Taylor homered for the Twins, who have lost a season-high five consecutive games.
The Twins lead their division despite falling under .500 at 31-32, and have scored a combined seven runs in the past six games.
Minnesota’s Bailey Ober (3-3) retired his first 11 batters, including six consecutive strikeouts in the second and third, before he lost the perfect game and lead in the span of three batters.
PHOTOS: Rays sweep Twins 4-2 to extend win streak to 6 games, now 46-19 on the season
After Randy Arozarena walked with two outs in the fourth. Luke Raley had an RBI triple and Harold Ramírez hit a two-run shot on back-to-back pitches to put the Rays up 3-1.
The start of the fourth was delayed when Ober returned into the dugout after being inspected by the umpires. The right-hander gave up four runs, three hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings.
Raley tripled for the second time in three games. His triple Tuesday was his first in the majors, coming in his 102nd game.
Tampa Bay went ahead 4-1 in the sixth when Wander Franco stole third and came home when reliever Griffin Jax stepped off the rubber and made an errant throw to third.
The Rays have stolen a team-record 31 consecutive bases without being caught.
Correa hit his seventh homer, a 107.4 mph, 406-foot drive to left, leading off the fourth. It was his first long ball since May 13.
Taylor had an eighth-inning solo shot off Colin Poche.
STRANGE PLAY
Twins DH Jorge Polanco experienced left hamstring tightness running to first base after his 107. 8 mph first-inning liner up the middle deflected off Chirinos and second base umpire Jeff Nelson before turning into a forceout at second. Donovan Solano replaced Polanco.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: 1B Yandy Díaz (left hip flexor) was out of the lineup for the second straight day.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Sonny Gray (4-1) and Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-2) are Friday night’s starters.
Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-0) will make his third start after starting the season on the IL with a left oblique strain against Texas LHP Andrew Heaney (4-3) in the opener of a three-game series between the teams with the best two records in the American League.
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