Tristan Gray Belted His First Career Grand Slam and the Twins Buried the Rays in a Seven-Run Seventh

Tristan Gray just had the kind of night that changes a season. The Minnesota shortstop crushed his first career grand slam in the seventh inning and drove in five runs total as the Twins absolutely exploded on the Tampa Bay Rays, winning 10-4 on Friday at Target Field. This was Minnesota's home opener after grinding through their first six games on the road, and Gray made sure it was unforgettable.

That Seventh Inning Was Pure Chaos

When the Twins came to bat in the seventh, the score was tied 3-3. Then everything fell apart for Tampa. Josh Bell ripped an RBI single to center to put Minnesota on top 4-3. Trevor Larnach and Royce Lewis followed with bases-loaded walks to stretch it to 6-3. Then Gray stepped in and deposited a 374-foot fastball just over the wall in right field. Boom. Grand slam. Game over. The Twins were up 10-3 and the Rays had nothing left in the tank.

Lewis also drove in two runs earlier in the game, while Bell finished with two RBIs of his own. That's the kind of balanced offensive attack that wins baseball games in April.

Tampa's Bullpen Couldn't Survive

The Rays actually jumped out to a 3-0 lead early. Nick Fortes doubled to left with two outs in the first and drove in two runs. Then Jake Fraley hit a leadoff double in the fourth and scored on Ben Williamson's double to extend Tampa's lead to 3-0. For a second, it looked like Tampa might have something cooking.

But Minnesota answered right back in the bottom of the fourth. Bell doubled home Luke Keaschall, Lewis drove in a run on a fielder's choice, and Gray capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Ryan Jeffers. Just like that, it was tied. And then that seventh inning happened.

Rays right-hander Kevin Kelly got shelled, giving up six runs (five earned) in just one-third of an inning. The Twins bullpen was sharp though, with left-hander Kody Funderburk picking up the win in relief despite only retiring one batter. Minnesota's pen held Tampa to just one run over five innings.

One rough note for the Twins: Byron Buxton left the game after getting hit by a pitch on his right forearm. The team said he bruised the arm and X-rays came back negative, so that's the good news.

The Rays cut it to 10-4 on an RBI single by Cedric Mullins in the eighth, but the damage was already done. Minnesota heads into their next one riding high after that explosive home opener.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.