TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — Shane McClanahan pitched seven innings of one-run ball and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Saturday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field, extending their winning streak to two games over the Twins in the four-game series.

McClanahan, who improved to 2-2 on the season, allowed five hits, walked two and struck out nine before turning the game over to the bullpen. The left-hander worked out of early trouble and benefited from a Rays offense that broke the game open with a three-run seventh inning. Bailey Ober took the loss for the Twins, falling to 2-1 after allowing five runs on six hits over six and one-third innings.

Minnesota struck first in the opening frame. Byron Buxton led off the game with a single to second base, then advanced to second on a throwing error by Rays second baseman Richie Palacios. After Austin Martin struck out and Josh Bell flied out to right field, Buxton moved to third on the flyout but was left stranded when Ryan Jeffers flied out to center field.

The Twins threatened again in the second inning. Victor Caratini lined out, but Luke Keaschall followed with a single to left field. Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis each struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tampa Bay’s first scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the first. Chandler Simpson walked, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by Junior Caminero. Jonathan Aranda then hit a fly ball to left field that appeared deep enough to score Simpson, but Austin Martin threw a strike to catcher Ryan Jeffers, who tagged out Simpson at the plate. The Rays challenged the tag play, but the call was upheld, ending the inning with the score still 1-0.

The game remained tight until the fourth inning. After Ober retired the first two batters of the frame, he hit Yandy Díaz with a pitch. Jake Fraley followed by launching a two-run homer to right-center field, scoring Díaz and giving the Rays a 2-1 lead. Fraley’s blast, his second of the season, put Tampa Bay ahead for good.

Minnesota had a chance to respond in the fifth. Brooks Lee reached on a throwing error by shortstop Ben Williamson, and Buxton singled sharply to center field, putting runners at first and second with no outs. But Austin Martin struck out swinging and Josh Bell grounded into a force out at second base, erasing the threat. The Twins left two runners on base and could not tie the game.

The Rays extended their lead in the seventh inning in decisive fashion. Jonny DeLuca, pinch-hitting for Fraley, led off with a double to left field, his fifth of the year. Ben Williamson then tripled to center field, driving in DeLuca to make the score 3-1. Cedric Mullins walked, and Nick Fortes singled to left field, scoring Williamson and moving Mullins to third. Palacios followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Mullins and pushing the lead to 5-1. Simpson struck out and Caminero grounded out to end the inning, but the damage was done.

The Rays added an insurance run in the eighth. After Jonathan Aranda struck out, Yandy Díaz singled sharply to right field. DeLuca struck out, but Williamson doubled to left field, scoring Díaz to make it 6-1. Williamson finished the game with a triple, a double and three RBIs.

The Twins finally got on the board in the ninth. With Kevin Kelly on the mound for Tampa Bay, Victor Caratini struck out swinging. Luke Keaschall was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a groundout by Matt Wallner. Royce Lewis then singled to center field, driving in Keaschall and trimming the deficit to 6-1. Brooks Lee flied out to right field to end the game.

Tampa Bay’s offense was led by Fraley, who also scored a run, and Williamson, who had two extra-base hits and three RBIs. DeLuca added a double and a run scored. Chandler Simpson walked twice and stole a base but was caught stealing in the fifth. Junior Caminero had a single for the Rays’ only other hit. The Twins managed five hits, including two from Buxton, one each from Keaschall, Jeffers and Lewis.

McClanahan earned the victory, striking out nine and walking two. Kevin Kelly recorded two outs in the eighth and Trevor Martin pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing one run on one hit. Ober took the loss after allowing five runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

The attendance was 14,014, and the game lasted 2 hours, 21 minutes.

Minnesota dropped to 12-15 on the season, while Tampa Bay improved to 15-11. The Twins have lost four of their last five games, while the Rays have won three of their last four. The series continues Sunday as the teams close out the set before the Rays begin a road trip to Cleveland and the Twins return home to face Seattle.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tampa Bay Rays 6, Minnesota Twins 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Tampa Bay with a 57.70 percent probability to win. Minnesota had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over/under line of 8.