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Rays blow lead, rally, blow lead, rally again to beat Twins in 15 (w/video)

 
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 28: Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates scoring a run against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game on May 28, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) 700010990
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 28: Evan Longoria #3 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates scoring a run against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game on May 28, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) 700010990
Published May 29, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — The Rays sure made it interesting Sunday, taking an early lead, watching their beleaguered bullpen blow it, rallying to tie in the ninth, battling the Twins to take a lead in the 14th then giving it up again.

But then they made it really special, scoring an 8-6 15-inning win that at 6 hours and 26 minutes was the second-longest game in franchise history (6:54 on Sept. 20, 2013) and matched their longest road game in terms of innings.

Evan Longoria homered to open the 15th off Hector Santiago, who started Friday for the Twins, then Logan Morrison followed with a massive blast, his team-high 14th, to provide the winning margin.

Erasmo Ramirez worked the bottom of the 15th and got the save for the Rays, who used six relievers but, curiously, not rookie Jose Alvarado. Ramirez needed only 12 pitches to pitch a perfect inning, and the Rays said after the game that he would make his scheduled start Monday night in Texas.

The Rays had taken a 6-5 lead in the top of the 14th when Corey Dickerson singled in Michael Martinez, who walked and moved up on a Jesus Sucre single.

But after they stretched and sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame a second time at Target Field, the bottom of the 14th didn't start well for Rays closer Alex Colome, who was working a second inning, and got worse.

Centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier came charging in for a Max Kepler fly, trying to make a basket catch, and dropped it. Miguel Sano followed with a single, and the Twins bunted the runners up to third and second. A single to left by Robbie Grossman delivered the tying run. But Colome recovered and got the Rays to the 15th.

Starter Alex Cobb left after five innings with a 3-1 advantage, but the Rays bullpen — with Ryan Garton most to blame — turned that into a 5-3 deficit by the ninth.

That wasn't the end though, as the Rays rallied.

Dickerson led off the ninth with a single and took second unchallenged then scored on a two-out double by Longoria. After the Twins intentionally walked Morrison, Steven Souza Jr. capped his eventful weekend with a single to right, Longoria, sore left foot and all, racing home with the tying run and called safe as he slid across the plate. The Twins got the umpires to do a crew-chief review, and 2 minutes and 24 tense seconds later the replay crew said the call stood. The Rays had a chance for more when Peter Bourjos walked to load the bases, but Tim Beckham went down swinging.

Tommy Hunter, who gave up a two-run homer Saturday, was strong for the ninth and 10th on Sunday.

And Danny Farquhar, the fifth reliever of the day, got the Rays into then out of a bases-loaded jam in the 11th, striking out Sano, who has had nine straight Ks, and through the 12th.

Most of the blame for the Rays falling behind had to go to Garton, the Mitchell High product pitching for the first time since his Wednesday call-up, with a 3-2 lead in the seventh.

Garton, who had pitched very well at Triple A, allowed a tying homer to Joe Mauer on his third pitch to start the seventh. Then he opened the eighth by walking the Nos. 7 and 9 hitters, both of whom came around to score once Ryne Stanek took over.

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Brian Dozier, who beat the Rays on Saturday with a homer, took a gentler approach Sunday, a ground ball single through the usual second base position, as the Rays had Martinez shifted up the middle.

Jason Castro went to third on the play then scored on a sac fly as Kiermaier made a tremendous running catch in center to keep it from being worse. Rightfielder Souza threw out Dozier at the plate to keep at 5-3, which turned out to be big.

Looking for a fourth straight road series win, the Rays grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first off Kyle Gibson. Kiermaier got them started by hustling his way to a one-out double, then Longoria and Morrison walked to load the bases. Souza's hard grounder up the middle scored one run and led to a forceout at second, then a single by Colby Rasmus knocked in another.

The Twins got one back in the third, taking advantage of the Rays failing to turn a double play as Mauer doubled in Jorge Polanco, who reached when Martinez's toss and shortstop Beckham's throw to first were late.

The Rays added on in the fifth when Dickerson added to his American League-leading hits total with a two-out single, then Kiermaier laced another double to right that rightfielder Kepler whiffed on, allowing Dickerson to come around.

Cobb left after five, having thrown 102 pitches, and leading 3-1.

But the Twins kept battling.

In the sixth, Eddie Rosario rapped a hit to right off Chase Whitley and hustled his way to second when Souza airmailed the throw in from right, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a double by Castro, who had a productive day from the No. 9 spot.

In the seventh, Mauer crushed the third pitch from Garton over the leftfield wall.

And in the eighth, the Twins scored the two to take the lead.

The Rays left after the game for Texas, where they open a three-game series Monday night against the Rangers.

Marc Topkin can be reached at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays.