Jake Odorizzi allowed three hits over six shutout innings, Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer and C.J. Cron had a three-run double to lead the Minnesota Twins to their third straight victory, 9-7 over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.

It was the sixth time in the last seven starts that Odorizzi (8-2) didn't allow a run. Odorizzi, who extended his scoreless innings streak to 16 1/3, struck out nine and walked one while lowering his American League leading ERA to 1.96.

During his last seven starts, Odorizzi has allowed three earned runs and 23 hits over 41 2/3 innings (0.65 ERA), walking 11 and striking out 47.

Odorizzi got some big help defensively from Byron Buxton in the third inning when Buxton raced back and crashed into the center field fence to catch a line drive by Yandy Diaz. Buxton then doubled off Austin Meadows, who had rounded second and had to retrace his steps, off first with a throw that Statcast registered at 97.1 mph and covered 303 feet.

Miguel Sano went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored and Buxton finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Cron and Jorge Polanco, who finished with two RBIs, also had two hits for Minnesota, which extended its team record of scoring three or more runs in a game to 26 in a row. Taylor Rogers struck out the side on 11 pitches in the ninth to notch his fifth save.

Christian Arroyo hit a two-run homer, Meadows went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored and Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi also had two hits for Tampa Bay.

Ryan Yarbrough (4-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, two walks and two hit batters over seven innings. He struck out four.

Minnesota took a 7-0 lead highlighted by a four-run fifth that featured a safety squeeze by Polanco that drove in Buxton and Cron's two-out, three-run line drive double to left-center.

The Rays cut it to 7-5 in the seventh, sending 10 batters to the plate against a trio of Twins relievers, highlighted by a two-run single by Meadows. Blake Parker ended the threat by getting Willy Adames to strike out on a 3-2 splitter.

Schoop extended Minnesota's lead to 9-5 in the eighth with his 11th homer of the season, a two-run blast off the catwalk in left-center. Arroyo answered with a two-run homer in the bottom half, his second of the season.

--Field Level Media