Defensive mistakes lead to end of Twins’ winning streak

For six games, the Twins punished their opposition, putting up at least six runs in each game, all victories. But on Wednesday, runs were at a premium, and a couple of defensive mistakes ended up leading to the end of the Twins’ winning streak.

The Tampa Bay Rays used a Royce Lewis throwing error in the 10th inning on Wednesday to edge the Twins, 3-2, at Target Field.

On what should have been the final out of a scoreless inning for reliever Jorge Alcala, Lewis’s throw got past first baseman Carlos Santana, allowing Randy Arozarena to score from second base. The Twins then went down quietly in the bottom of the 10th.

“Unfortunately, bad timing,” Lewis said. “This sport can humble you very easily. I’m not going to let that define my day, my year or who I am because it was just unfortunate timing. … I wouldn’t do anything different about that play. I set my feet and made the best throw I could.”

Another costly error helped the Rays (35-39) tie the game in the seventh, taking advantage of a rare Carlos Correa misplay. The Twins appeared to have pinch runner José Caballero caught attempting to steal, but the ball ticked off the shortstop’s glove instead and rolled into center field, letting him advance to third base.

He would then score the tying run on a soft Yandy Díaz single.

“We make all the plays, we give ourselves, certainly, a better chance and maybe we’re still playing right now,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “But it’s part of the game. We have to find ways to win games where even if we make a mistake or two — there’s always mistakes. … If we got something going again offensively like we have, we’re in a much better spot.”

Offensively, Lewis was a bright spot once again, finishing the day with three of the Twins’ (41-33)nine hits.

A Lewis home run in the fifth had out the Twins up 1-0, their first and only lead of the day — and busted the ribbon board in left field.

“Is that what happened?” Lewis asked after the game. “I did notice it was out. I was thinking, ‘Man, they have to be really pissed off that it’s not working. I didn’t know it was from the homer, so that’s pretty cool.”

Lewis smacked a home run at 108.7 mph off the screen, causing the section to go black. It’s a price the Twins will surely be happy to pay considering the production they’re getting from their hot-hitting third baseman, who now has eight home runs in 14 games played this season.

The Twins scored their only other run in the third inning when Austin Martin scored on Trevor Larnach’s double play ball. That tied the game at the time after Isaac Paredes had hit a home run off starter Joe Ryan earlier in the inning.

Ryan, facing the organization that traded him as a minor leaguer years earlier, took a no-decision in a game in which he gave up just that run in his six innings pitched.

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