ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-C.J. Cron hit a pair of two-run homers and Blake Snell won his third straight start Saturday night in the Tampa Bay Rays' 10-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Cron's homer in the third inning put the Rays up 2-1 after Adeiny Hechavarria singled for their first hit off Kyle Gibson. Cron connected again in the seventh off Gabriel Moya, capping a five-run inning. It was his fourth homer of the season.
Joey Wendle had three hits and scored twice for the Rays, who won their third straight for the first time this year.
Snell (3-1) surrendered just one run for his third consecutive start, striking out six and allowing five hits in seven innings. In 15 starts since his recall from the minors last August, the left-hander is 8-2 with a 2.74 ERA.
Gibson (1-1) gave up four runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven.
Daniel Robertson homered in the eighth for Tampa Bay, his second.
Brian Dozier led off the game with a double and scored on Miguel Sano's sacrifice fly. The hit stretched Dozier's season-opening hitting streak to 15 games, the longest current streak in the majors. He has hit in 22 straight games going back to last season, batting .376 in that stretch.
Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 for the Twins, ending his streak of 27 games reaching base safely
against Tampa Bay.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: OF Byron Buxton, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with migraines, took batting practice and reported that the problem persists, though some of the blurred vision and dizziness have subsided.
Rays: 3B Matt Duffy (strained right hamstring) took ground balls, and the Rays are hopeful he will come off the 10-day disabled list during their upcoming nine-game
trip.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Phil Hughes will pitch Sunday's series finale, becoming Minnesota's fifth pitcher to start a game this season.
Rays: RHP Yonny Chirinos, who has started three "bullpen-day" games, will pitch Sunday and is now "penciled in to pitch every fifth day," manager Kevin Cash said.