Twins, Rays kick off 4-game set with stellar matchup

While the Tampa Bay Rays worked overtime Wednesday night, their next opponent, the Minnesota Twins, enjoyed a day off.

The Rays completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 win in 11 innings, and will host the Twins in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.

The Twins, who have the best record in the majors, will start left-hander Martin Perez (7-1, 2.95 ERA) while the Rays will start right-hander Charlie Morton (5-0, 2.54).

The day off gave Twins center fielder Byron Buxton time for his bruised right knee to heal. He crashed into the wall at Target Field and fell hard to the ground in the second inning of a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday after getting a glove on Yasmani Grandal's second-inning triple.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and a trainer helped Buxton to his feet. Baldelli removed Buxton from the game.

"I feel fine," Buxton said. "It's just one of those things where I come out to get looked at, just to be precautionary. ... It was more (painful) when I hit the ground. Not too much give either way. ... I wanted to stay in. I wanted to do what I could to try to help us win."

"In situations like that, the answer is almost always just to get the guy in (the clubhouse) and get him looked at," Baldelli said. "He's in good shape. He'll be fine going forward."

There is artificial turf at Tropicana Field, so that could be a factor in how much Buxton plays on the bruised knee.

Baldelli, a former Rays player and coach, is in his first year as Twins manager. The Blue Jays also have a first-year manager, Charlie Montoyo, who coached with the Rays for four years under manager Kevin Cash.

Baldelli was not sure if there would be a tribute video played upon his return.

"What I do know is that Kevin (Cash) is probably planning something that he thinks is funny," Baldelli said. "That, I'll bank on. ... I'm fully prepared that when we walk out there for batting practice, that there will be something that he finds hilarious on the big screen. I'm like, whatever. I'm so tired of all of his games that it doesn't even matter to me."

Cash said he talked to Baldelli in the offseason. "And the little ideas, the things he wanted to do, it makes a lot of sense," Cash said. "He wants the guys to go out and play and be comfortable, be relaxed and have fun. They certainly look like they're having fun from afar when you're winning games at the clip they are, it's tough not to smile."

Perez will be starting for the ninth time this season on Thursday. It will be his ninth career appearance (seventh start) against Tampa Bay. He is 0-3 with a 6.57 ERA against them. He faced the Rays twice (one start) last season and had a 9.45 ERA.

Morton has faced the Twins twice in his career and is 1-0 with a 5.91 ERA. He last opposed them on July 14, 2017, earning a win while allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings while striking out 10.

Since Aug. 17, Morton is 8-0 with a 3.10 ERA in 18 starts, the longest unbeaten streak of his career.

--Field Level Media