Just one of those days for Garza, Rays

Matt Garza learned he wasn't going to catch a break from his old team Sunday when first batter Denard Span, the Tampa Catholic grad, pestered him with a 10-pitch at-bat before flying out.

Not that he was expecting one, of course.

Garza (4-4) pitched well enough to win on a lot of days in his first start against his old mates, but Manager Joe Maddon's drastically altered lineup came up a hit or two short in a 3-2 loss to the Twins.

"That's a disciplined team there," Garza said after going seven innings and registering his eighth quality start. "I came from there, so I know how they play. I knew going in what they were going to do, and they did it. That's why they're good year in and out."

The Rays won the series, but they failed to finish May with their first three-game sweep of the year. They'll take their first day off since May 11 at three games under .500 (25-28).

Maddon gave B.J. Upton most of the day off, batted Ben Zobrist in the leadoff spot and inserted newly recalled Matt Joyce, the Armwood High product, in center field. The mix, which also included Reid Brignac at short for injured Jason Bartlett, almost worked.

Although solo home runs by Carlos Pena and Joyce produced the only Tampa Bay runs, the Rays had some hard-hit balls go for naught. And they missed key scoring chances.

Longoria, the majors' RBI leader, grounded out with the bases loaded to end the fifth after Joyce's home run had given the Rays a 2-1 lead. And pinch-hitter Gabe Kapler grounded out to end the eighth with two on.

Maddon and others were quick to credit Nick Blackburn (5-2), who is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in his last three starts.

"He keeps the ball pretty much out of the middle of the plate, which makes him tough," Longoria said after going 0-for-3.

After getting a solo home from Brendan Harris in the second, Minnesota scored one run each in the sixth and seventh innings in classic Twins small-ball style.

In the sixth, Span reached on a bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Justin Morneau single. In the seventh, Carlos Gomez dropped an RBI bloop single just beyond second baseman Zobrist after Brian Buscher and Mike Redmond each singled.

"We hit the ball great today," Garza said. "Like Gabe Gross. I don't know how many times that guy could get robbed. He lays it right back at Blackburn, and he caught it, and then hits a ball that should have been off the wall in the fifth and Span spider-manned his way up there to catch it."