PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Twins opening day starter Ervin Santana pitched six shutout innings Friday, and Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki homered twice to pace Minnesota's 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Santana allowed three hits and struck out eight in his fourth start, leading toward his April 4 opening day assignment against the Baltimore Orioles. Plouffe and Suzuki combined to go 6-for-7 with five RBI's, and Byron Buxton also drove in a run with a third-inning sacrifice fly for the Twins.
Rays starter Drew Smyly allowed five runs and five hits in six innings.