Jose Miranda’s dramatic home run goes for naught as Twins fall to Rays in 10

Jose Miranda hit a dramatic, tying three-run homer when the Twins were down to their last strike in the bottom of the ninth inning, and that wasn’t even the most stunning play Thursday.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, with the Twins down a run, pinch hitter Carlos Correa lofted a fly ball to right-center field. Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Jose Siri called off his teammate for the ball, ranging to his left, then roped a throw to third base, where he tossed out Royce Lewis for an incredible double play.

“It’s one of the best throws going across the field, and throwing back across his body, that I’ve ever seen,” manager Rocco Baldelli said after the Twins dropped a 7-6 thriller at Target Field.

The Twins lost two of their three games against the Rays, ending a 10-game homestand 7-3. All three games vs. Tampa Bay were decided by a run in the final inning.

Jonny DeLuca drove in the winning run in the top of the 10th with a one-out single off Griffin Jax, scoring the automatic runner at second base. When the Twins had a chance to put a runner on third for Ryan Jeffers and Carlos Santana in the bottom half of the inning, Siri spoiled it with his throw.

“You need an unbelievable throw when someone is going to their left from center field toward right field,” Lewis said. “I mean, I have nothing to say but tip my cap. It was an unbelievable throw. Probably Top 10 ESPN, for sure, for probably a few months.”

Baldelli added: “I like the play [by Lewis]. Getting to third base at that point is incredibly important for us. He’s going to be safe at third almost every time, and today he was not because someone came in and made a great play.”

The Twins trailed by four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Santana hit a leadoff homer off reliever Chris Devenski. Byron Buxton followed with a double and Kyle Farmer drew a walk before Rays closer Pete Fairbanks entered.

With two outs and the two runners still on, Miranda saw four sliders from a closer that had blown only one save in 11 opportunities this year. He lifted the last one, which caught the middle of the plate, past the left-field wall.

“When you go out there and you’re having better at-bats, you’re laying off a pitch you used to offer at, you’re making the adjustment one pitch sooner, one at-bat sooner,” Baldelli said. “He’s making some nice strides at the plate. He’s hitting breaking balls. He’s hitting some fastballs. He’s using the whole field.”

BOXSCORE: Tampa Bay 7, Twins 6 (10)

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Twins rookie starter Simeon Woods Richardson gave up two runs and four hits in six innings, and it was a 2-2 game in the eighth inning. Lefty reliever Steven Okert gave up a one-out single to Isaac Paredes and watched pinch runner Richie Palacios swipe second base — the Rays’ eighth stolen base in the three-game series. Amed Rosario delivered a go-ahead RBI double to left field, a pinch hitter who was hitless in his previous 17 at-bats.

Jay Jackson yielded homers to Siri and Yandy Díaz in a three-run top of the ninth inning before the Twins staged their comeback.

“We never give up,” Lewis said. “That’s the best. When you’re a fan, you come to watch the game, and you see that your team is never giving up. To me, that’s freakin’ awesome.”

Lewis — who homered off ex-Twin Zack Littell in the third inning, his ninth homer in only 15 games this season — followed Miranda’s tying homer with a flyout to the warning track in left field. Lewis said he knew that drive wasn’t a homer based on the way it felt off his bat, but his teammates thought it had a chance.

“Every ball he’s hitting right now, I think it’s a homer,” Miranda said.

Lewis has totaled 26 homers in 85 career games. There are only six major leaguers to hit more homers through their first 85 games, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs: Rudy York (31), Mark McGwire (30), José Abreu (29), Pete Alonso (28), Cody Bellinger (28) and Yordan Álvarez (27).