Young delivers off Shields

I just asked Rays PR man Chris Costello to check the last time a Ray made an error this spring, and the answer was the eighth inning Friday night against the Yankees in Tampa. What followed as 27 innings of errorless baseball – 29 if you count the two innings washed out Saturday.

So, naturally, the Rays would commit an error in the first inning today, and that error came on a relay throw to third by first baseman Chris Richard that allowed Michael Cuddyer to score.

Delmon Young had singled to right field with two-out, driving home Joe Mauer.

Twins 1, Rays 0

Richard took the throw from Hinske, who is playing right, and for some reason thought he had a play on Cuddyer. He didn’t, and he especially didn’t when the ball bounced past Joel Guzman.

Cuddyer walked home on the error and Young moved to second.

Twins 2, Rays 0

That’s how the first inning went.

Jason Bartlett hit a ground rule double to center field off Livan Hernandez and after a walk to Jonny Gomes, stole third.

Shields gave up three hits and should have escaped the inning down 1-0 if not for the throwing error.