MINNEAPOLIS - finally healthy, Ben Zobrist is hitting the way he did in his 2009 season escape.
Zobrist has set a Tampa Bay record with eight RBI, hit a home run and two double Thursday as the rays put the Twins in Minnesota 15-3 rout in the first game of a day-night singing. Zobrist went 4-for-6 and has marked two times. He hit an RBI single in the first inning and a three-run homer in the sixth before adding two-run double in the seventh and ninth. Zobrist, broke the team RBI record of seven set by Carlos Pena in 2007. It is the first player to lead in at least eight runs in a game since the Toronto Blue Jays Adam Lind August 31, 2009. "Each time that you have that many points products it is because your teammates are about to start for you each time", said Zobrist. "It was what he did today." We hit well up and down the line-up. Everyone was struck and I hope that we have registered some for the second game. "Zobrist struck. 297 27 with 91 points in 2009 and signed a four year, $ 18 million contract. He played through a painful neck last year and the number declined in all areas, at 238 with 10 Homer and 75 RBI. But Zobrist has been healthy this spring and it shows. He is trained in 16 tracks in over its last four games to capture the head of the League in products with 23 points. "It's hot," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon. "Ben simply not missing." It gets its possibilities and the at - bats have worked and he did an excellent job with it. "With Zobrist at the vanguard, Tampa Bay won four d' straight and 12 of the 15. "Any time you are healthy, then you can do the job that you want to get prepared for the game," said Zobrist. "When you are not in good health, you may not do." It is the greatest difficulty may not be completely healthy, just be able to get working in. Thus, it was nice being able to do that this year. Especially recently, trying to make adjustments where I need to make adjustments. "B.J. Upton had three hits and scored three times for the rays, which matched a season high with 19 hits. Johnny Damon extended his streak hit 15 matches getting three hits, including an RBI triple. Jeremy Hellickson (2-2) launched 6 1/3 handles for the victory. Nick Blackburn (1-4) was chased in the fourth. Frappeurs Tampa Bay could begin to catch up with their pitchers. The rays began the day with third time of the AL but was the last in the majors with an average stick. 228. The rays have upgraded twin 23-5 through the first two games of the series. Zobrist struck his sixth and Casey Kotchman struck his first. Tampa Bay scored in the first round of each of the five games of the road trip. "I will sit down y as long as they want to hit," Hellickson says long breaks in the pond while his team scored. "I'll just put on my jacket and sit on the bench." Hellickson allowed only two hits before Michael Cuddyer hit with two out in the fourth. Transferred the recruit then retired seven of the next eight hitters. "We do play with some fires," said Cuddyer. "We must play with some fires." We propose you to play with a certain emotion. Currently, we are not. Blackburn stumbled through 3 1/3 sleeve. He allowed seven runs, of which five have been won and gave up eight hits and four walks. The walks may be the major concern for the twins. Perpetually among teams stingiest distributing walks, they got disorder control throughout the season. "I just couldn't throw strikes," said Blackburn. "Everything I was throwing everything was going right in the dirt.". He was one of these days. It's not very often, I try to convince myself to lift the ball. I couldn't find the strike zone today. "Damon walked in the first, stole second base and scored the single of Upton. Matt Joyce followed with another walk and Zobrist had an RBI single. Tampa Bay has missed the opportunity for even more when Sean Rodriguez put an end to a decay squeeze, but Joyce was tagged to the plate. "You take on the game," said twins Manager Ron Gardenhire. "It was not very good for everyone except Tampa." game notes
As soon as the first game of Thursday, the rays will play four games on a 51-hour period. Friday Starter David Price was returned to Tampa Bay, before the team to prepare for his departure. ... Hellickson made four of its departures from 11 career against the twins, going 2 - 1. He made his debut in major league against the twins last August with a seven round win, six-barré. ... Rene Tosoni of Minnesota made his debut in major and designated League right field in his first y. The fielder ends with two hits and an RBI after was called Rochester 2007 after the match of Thursday with the fielder Delmon Young to join the list of persons with disabilities. ... Joyce reached base five times with three hits and two walks... Twins DH Jim Thome was still not available with a strained oblique. Copyright by STATS LLC and associated press
