Bader walks off Rays with 2nd home run of game for Twins

By Canadian Press on July 4, 2025.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Harrison Bader hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Bader, the No. 9 batter, lined the first pitch he saw from Kevin Kelly (0-1) into the first row of left-field seats to complete a three-run Minnesota comeback.

It was the third career walk-off RBI for Bader, first on a home run.

Louis Varland (3-3) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, Minnesota got a two-out RBI double from Byron Buxton before Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger hit Willi Castro and Brooks Lee with pitches, tying the game. Carlos Correa struck out with the bases loaded.

Twins starter Chris Paddack allowed two earned runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Josh Lowe singled against Paddack leading off the sixth and scored on Yandy Díaz’s double.

Junior Caminero drove in Díaz with a single off Danny Coulombe for a 2-1 Rays lead. Lowe added an RBI single in the seventh.

Zack Littell pitched six solid innings for Tampa Bay, allowing one earned run for the third straight start. He scattered four hits and struck out five.

Key moment

Tampa Bay shortstop Ha-Seong Kim had a hit in his Rays debut before leaving after he was caught stealing in the sixth inning and came up limping a bit.

Kim missed the first 87 games this season recovering from right shoulder surgery. The 2023 Gold Glove recipient with San Diego signed a two-year, $29 million deal with Tampa Bay on Feb. 3.

Key stat

Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe extended his career-high hitting streak to 19 games with a fourth-inning single. The longest active streak in the majors ties him with Jason Bartlett in 2009 for the second-longest in Rays history. Díaz hit in 20 straight games last season.

Up next

The series continues Saturday when Tampa Bay plans to start RHP Taj Bradley (5-6, 4.84 ERA). The Twins had yet to announce a scheduled starter.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Mike Cook, The Associated Press