Twins Rally Late to Beat Rays in Home Opener

Tristan Gray's grand slam highlights 7-run 7th inning for Minnesota

Apr. 4, 2026 at 10:55am

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The Minnesota Twins overcame an early 3-0 deficit with a big 7th inning, capped by Tristan Gray's first career grand slam, to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-4 in their home opener on Friday in Minneapolis.

Why it matters

The Twins' comeback win in front of their home crowd was an exciting start to the season after playing their first 6 games on the road. The late-inning heroics from Gray and others showed the team's offensive firepower and resilience.

The details

The Rays jumped out to a 3-0 lead through the first 4 innings, but the Twins rallied in the 7th with 7 runs, including Gray's decisive grand slam that put the game out of reach. Minnesota's bullpen limited Tampa Bay to just 1 run over the final 5 innings to secure the victory.

  • The Twins played their first 6 games of the season on the road before Friday's home opener.
  • The Rays took a 3-0 lead in the top of the 4th inning.
  • The Twins scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning, capped by Tristan Gray's grand slam.

The players

Tristan Gray

A Twins outfielder who hit his first career grand slam in the 7th inning to break the game open.

Josh Bell

A Twins infielder who drove in 2 runs with an RBI double in the 4th inning to help Minnesota rally.

Kody Funderburk

The Twins relief pitcher who earned the win after retiring just 1 batter in the 7th inning.

Nick Fortes

A Rays infielder who hit a 2-run double in the 1st inning to give Tampa Bay an early lead.

Kevin Kelly

The Rays starting pitcher who was tagged for 6 runs (5 earned) in just 1/3 of an inning.

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What they’re saying

“We showed a lot of fight coming back from an early deficit. Tristan's grand slam was the big blow, but it was a total team effort to get this win.”

— Rocco Baldelli, Twins Manager

What’s next

The Twins and Rays will continue their 3-game series on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.

The takeaway

The Twins' come-from-behind victory in their home opener demonstrated the team's offensive firepower and resilience, providing an exciting start to the season for their fans after a tough opening road trip.