Florida Gov. Scott: Irma is the 'most catastrophic storm the state has ever seen'

Florida’s governor is issuing urgent warnings to a third of his state’s residents to evacuate ahead of a massive hurricane on track to be the state’s most catastrophic ever.

Florida governor Rick Scott said: “This is the most catastrophic storm the state has ever seen."

Scott says the entire west coast of Florida will likely see dangerous affects from storm surge as Hurricane Irma comes ashore Sunday. About 6.3 million of the state’s approximately 21 million residents have been asked to evacuate.

During a Saturday news conference, he told those in evacuation zones: “You need to leave — not tonight, not in an hour, right now”

He says the storm is “going to go faster than you are.”

Scott said 25,000 people in Florida have already lost electricity as Irma’s outer bands have begun hitting the southern part of the state.

The governor also warned of dangerous storm surge of between 6 feet (2 meters) and 12 feet (4 meters) across parts of Florida.

He said: “This will cover your house."

The Latest: Florida orders all schools, colleges closed

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Irma preparations in Florida (all times local):

8:50 p.m.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is ordering the closing of all schools, colleges and universities throughout the state.

Scott announced late Thursday that all schools, as well as state offices, would be closed Friday through Monday.

Many school districts and universities had already voluntarily agreed to close due to the looming arrival of Hurricane Irma over the weekend. But many school districts and colleges in north central and northwest Florida had remained open.

In a brief statement, Scott said he ordered all schools to shut down so that the buildings could be used potentially as shelters or as staging grounds for relief efforts.

He said Floridians are "facing a life-threatening storm" and "every family must prepare to evacuate.

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8:45 p.m.

Florida officials want residents to evacuate the area directly south of Lake Okeechobee as Hurricane Irma approaches.

Gov. Rick Scott released a statement Thursday ordering an immediate voluntary evacuation for cities surrounding the southern half of the lake from Lake Port to Canal Point in Hendry, Palm Beach and Glades counties. Mandatory evacuations will be put in place beginning Friday morning.

The statement said Scott made the decision after discussing the Herbert Hoover Dike with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Col. Jason Kirk told Scott the structural integrity of the dike would not be compromised, but excessive could wind push some water over the dike.

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5:30 p.m.

Florida's head of the Department of Corrections said that nearly 5,000 inmates are being moved due to Hurricane Irma.

Secretary Julie Jones says 2,000 inmates from South Florida prisons were transferred to other facilities on Wednesday, and nearly 3,000 from central Florida were being moved on Thursday. Jones added that prisoners and officers are being taken care of and remain safe.

Jones says this has been the largest transfer of prisoners due to a storm. She says extensive damage contingency plans are already in place.

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5:20 p.m.

The three major amusement parks in Orlando, Florida, are all operating under normal conditions as Hurricane Irma threatens the entire state.

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea World said Thursday morning they are monitoring the movement of Irma, but at this point have made no plans to shut down their parks or alter the normal hours of operations. Some special events have been canceled.

The storm is projected to reach the southern part of the state Saturday and some tracking models have the Category 5 Hurricane reaching central Florida on Monday.

Each park has refund or rescheduling policies in place for park visitors who may not feel comfortable visiting Orlando this weekend. The parks have their individual policies posted on their respective websites.

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1:35 p.m.

Immigrant rights groups are urging the government not to inquire about anyone's immigration status at shelters that have opened in advance of Hurricane Irma.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition urged Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday to issue a statement saying the state welcomes people into shelters without checking IDs. Advocacy groups say immigrants are fearful after a Central Florida sheriff posted a Twitter message saying that officers will be checking IDs to keep sex offenders away from families.

The coalition said in a statement that this "is not a moment to incite fear in the hearts of our communities."

The American Civil Liberties Union's Florida chapter also weighed in, saying Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd "should be working to prepare his community, not burnishing his Joe Arpaio-style 'tough cop' credentials with a series of irresponsible tweets."

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said officials there won't be asking for identification.

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1:20 p.m.

NASA secured Kennedy Space Center on Thursday for potentially catastrophic wind and rain, as SpaceX squeezed out a rocket launch in advance of Hurricane Irma.

Kennedy was closing its doors to all nonessential staff, effective Friday. A crew of about 120 people will ride out the storm on site.

Most of the critical buildings at Kennedy are designed to withstand gusts of 125 mph to 135 mph. Irma's wind could exceed if — and when — it reaches Cape Canaveral.

Workers rushed to cover the Orion capsule scheduled to launch in two years on a brand new NASA rocket, the Space Launch System, or SLS. Pieces of the rocket were stashed away in other buildings.

As NASA stacked sandbags at doorways and other entrances, SpaceX managed to launch an unmanned Falcon rocket from NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A, once used by Apollo moon rockets and space shuttles. Aboard the Falcon was an Air Force minishuttle taking off on another long experimental flight in orbit.

Even before Thursday morning's liftoff, Kennedy seemed quieter than usual. After the Falcon soared, the parking lots were even emptier. About 9,000 people work at Kennedy, most of them contractors.

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12:55 p.m.

In Pinellas County officials announced a mandatory evacuation of everyone living in low-lying areas.

Evacuation zone "A'' cover the county's Gulf Coast and the people living along the bayside as well. It also includes people living in mobile homes, regardless of the location. The decision was announced Thursday.

Close to a million people live in Pinellas County, many along the waterfront if the peninsula surrounded by water on three sides that's about 250 miles (402.32 kilometers) northwest of Miami.

Also, in neighboring Pasco County, officials announced Thursday that five shelters are opening.

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12:15 p.m.

Gov. Rick Scott is urging all gas stations in Florida to stay open as long as possible to accommodate people who are trying to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma.

The governor said during a Thursday news conference that the state will send in police escorts to get gas station employees out safely if necessary before the storm arrives.

He says authorities are already escorting fuel tankers to get them through traffic and to gas stations as quickly as possible.

Scott says all of the state's ports are still operating, bringing in fuel and supplies.

He urged residents to take only as much gas as they need to make sure there is enough for everyone who needs it.

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10:45 a.m.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott maintains that the state is doing everything it can to deal with fuel shortages and traffic jams so people can evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma.

Scott on Thursday acknowledged that the current situation is "frustrating" for Floridians, but he said the state is working with federal authorities and other states to move as much gas into the state.

This includes having the Florida Highway Patrol escort fuel trucks.

Beth Frady, a spokeswoman for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said that during the night troopers helped escort trucks from two Florida ports to stations in Marion and Martin counties.

Troopers were also escorting trucks from Georgia to stations in Perry, which is located in north central Florida.

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9:50 a.m.

American Airlines is preparing to shut down operations across Florida as Hurricane Irma approaches.

Officials said in a news release that the airline will cease operations at its Miami hub as well as in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers on Friday afternoon.

The final flight to leave Miami International Airport is scheduled to take off for Dallas at 3:49 p.m. Friday.

Operations will cease at Orlando International Airport at 2 p.m. on Saturday and airline officials said they will continue to monitor conditions at other airports in Florida.

Resumption of service will depend upon airport and roadway conditions and the ability of crew members to get to work.

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8:45 a.m.

The Florida Highway Patrol says troopers are monitoring the high volume of traffic heading north on Florida's Turnpike as people evacuate South Florida.

In a news release, the highway patrol said extra troopers, road rangers and wreckers will be on the roadways to help drivers whose vehicles have become disabled.

The agency says disabled vehicles left on the shoulders of the highways will be towed staring Thursday morning to make it easier for emergency workers who are trying to reach crash victims.

Turnpike officials are also using cameras along the road to monitor conditions.

Anyone needed help can call (asterisk)FHP to get assistance.

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4:22 a.m.

Residents in parts of the Miami metro area are under mandatory orders to leave their homes as Hurricane Irma barrels toward South Florida with potentially catastrophic winds.

Mayors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties issued mandatory evacuation orders starting Thursday morning for barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas in the metro area of 6 million, where forecasters predict the hurricane with winds of 180 mph (290 kph) could strike by early Sunday.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott strongly urges people to evacuate if asked to do so by local officials. The governor also says he expects the state's gas stations to have fuel Thursday, after talking with fuel retailers a day earlier.

Thursday's Scores

All Saints 28, Cornerstone Charter 0

Atlantic Coast 23, Orange Park 13

Avon Park 27, Hardee 20

Baker County 24, Ribault 12

Bartram Trail 49, Clay 28

Belleview 49, Palatka 34

Bishop Kenny 21, Nease 20

Bolles School 34, First Coast 26

Boone 35, Ocoee 13

Bradford 33, Keystone Heights 0

Branford 64, St. John Lutheran 16

Christ's Church 33, Wewahitchka 0

Clearwater Central Catholic 25, Tampa Catholic 0

Columbia 42, Buchholz 7

Creekside 56, Paxon 12

Dr. Phillips 44, West Orange 24

East Ridge 63, Leesburg 34

Edgewater 45, Olympia 36

Evans 38, Oak Ridge 35

First Academy-Orlando 33, Orlando Christian 27

Fleming Island 27, Middleburg 6

Fletcher 51, Englewood 0

Fort Meade 46, Mulberry 7

Fort White 49, Santa Fe 0

Frostproof 28, Tenoroc 8

George Jenkins 49, Lake Region 14

Hawthorne 46, P.K. Yonge 20

Hudson 54, Cypress Creek-Wesley Chapel 0

Indian Rocks 32, St. Petersburg Catholic 6

Jones 54, Colonial 7

Lafayette 41, Chiefland 17

Lake Brantley 35, Winter Haven 28

Lake Howell 35, Winter Springs 21

Lake Nona 41, Orlando Freedom 0

Lake Wales 52, Haines City 0

Lake Weir 35, Eustis 20

Lakeland 42, Apopka 35

Lyman 24, Lake Minneola 20

Menendez 48, Yulee 35

Mitchell 56, Ridgewood 6

Oak Hall 41, Bronson 7

Ocala Forest 48, Mount Dora 39

Ocala Vanguard 45, North Marion 0

Oviedo 48, Hagerty 27

Port St. Joe 35, Bay 20

R.E. Lee 35, Mandarin 20

Raines 28, Ed White 7

Ridgeview 51, Westside 36

Sandalwood 38, Leon 12

Sarasota 34, Booker 14

Sarasota Riverview 11, Palmetto 10

Sebring 30, Bartow 7

Seffner Christian 42, Bishop McLaughlin 9

South Lake 43, Crystal River 6

Stanton College Prep 50, Andrew Jackson 12

Tavares 47, Umatilla 44

Timber Creek 17, East River 7

Trenton 34, South Sumter 14

Trinity Christian-Jacksonville def. Terry Parker, forfeit

Union County 29, Interlachen 21

Wesley Chapel 42, Pasco 12

West Nassau County 13, Providence 0

West Port 41, Citrus 7

Wildwood 42, First Academy-Leesburg 0

Williston 28, Seven Rivers Christian 14

Winter Park 10, Wekiva 6

Wiregrass Ranch 14, Sunlake 9

Wolfson 34, North Florida Educational Instutitute 20

Zephyrhills Christian 46, Bradenton Christian 6

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

Braddock vs. Champagnat Catholic, ccd.

Charlotte vs. Venice, ccd.

Everglades vs. McArthur, ccd.

Fivay vs. Weeki Wachee, ccd.

Fort Pierce Westwood vs. Jupiter, ccd.

Foundation Academy vs. Carrollwood Day, ppd.

Land O'Lakes vs. Hernando, ccd.

Lemon Bay vs. Port Charlotte, ccd.

Miami Beach vs. Coral Reef Senior, ccd.

Miami Palmetto vs. Miami Ferguson, ccd.

Miami Springs vs. Reagan/Doral, ccd.

North Miami Beach vs. Belen Jesuit, ccd.

Royal Palm Beach vs. Oxbridge Academy, ccd.

Seabreeze vs. Flagler Palm Coast, ppd.

Spruce Creek vs. Matanzas, ppd.

St. Lucie Centennial vs. Sebastian River, ccd.

Vero Beach vs. Miami Krop, ccd.

Braves pull out walk-off win over Marlins

(TSX / STATS) -- ATLANTA -- Late-inning rallies no longer surprise Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, so it was hardly a shock when his team scored two runs in the ninth inning and produced its 17th win in the final at-bat.

"These guys battle, they fight, they grind," Snitker said after the Braves beat the Miami Marlins 6-5 on Thursday. "Things haven't gone the way we want them consistently lately, but a lot of good things are happening. I've seen it many times out of this group of guys."

Kurt Suzuki's two-out single in the ninth off closer Brad Ziegler (1-4) capped Atlanta's two-run rally at SunTrust Park. It was the Braves' seventh walk-off win of the season.

"What an at-bat (for Suzuki), and that's a tough pitcher to do that against," Atlanta right fielder Jace Peterson said.

The Braves began the comeback when pinch hitter Matt Adams doubled. Pinch runner Nick Markakis scored the tying run when Ozzie Albies slapped a one-out double to right field.

After Ziegler intentionally walked Freddie Freeman and retired Lane Adams on a fielder's choice, Suzuki singled just inside the third base bag to score Freeman.

"It's just good to see guys keep fighting, keep battling," Snitker said.

The loss was the fifth straight for the Marlins, who have dropped 10 of 11.

"We haven't been playing that great the last few days, and to have a chance and not get the win makes it that much tougher," Ziegler said. "We battled back after we were down pretty late in the game. The offense gave us a chance to win, and it's frustrating to not be able to come through."

The winning pitcher was Rex Brothers (3-3), who struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning.

The Marlins rallied against reliever Jose Ramirez in the eighth to take a 5-4 lead. Brian Anderson led off by reaching on an error, a ground ball that rolled through the legs of rookie second baseman Albies. Anderson scored when Ichiro Suzuki lobbed a two-out, pinch-hit single softly into left field.

It was the 26th pinch hit of the season for Suzuki, two short of the major league record set by John Vander Wal of the Colorado Rockies in 1995.

"That's the one chance that I get," Suzuki said. "The approach hasn't changed. I do the same things I have been doing."

The Marlins tied the game with a run in the seventh off reliever Sam Freeman, who allowed his first run since July 31, a span of 16 games. Freeman walked Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna greeted Ramirez with an RBI single.

Ozuna led the Marlins with two hits and two RBIs, and Anderson had two hits and a walk.

Atlanta got two hits each from Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson, Peterson and Suzuki.

Miami starter Dan Straily allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three.

Atlanta's Sean Newcomb pitched five innings and allowed three runs and seven hits and three walks. He struck out five.

The Marlins put three runs on the board in the first inning. Dee Gordon led off with a triple and scored on Yelich's single. Ozuna followed with a run-scoring triple and scored on Anderson's two-out single.

Atlanta cut the lead to 3-2 in the second inning when Rio Ruiz and Swanson singled, and both came around to score on Peterson's opposite-field single to left.

The Braves took the lead by scoring twice in the fifth inning to go ahead 4-3. Inciarte tripled and scored on Albies' sacrifice fly. Matt Kemp gave the Braves the lead with a solo homer -- his 18th of the season.

The loss further damaged the chances for Miami (67-73) to make a push for the wild card. With Washington's 4-3 win in Philadelphia on Thursday, Atlanta (62-77) was officially eliminated in the NL East.

"It's definitely not for lack of effort, that's for sure," Straily said. "I've been watching this team play every single night. It's not going our way now, and we've got to find a way to turn it around quick."

NOTES: Miami 2B Dee Gordon led off the game with a triple to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. It ended Miami's streak of 22 innings without an extra-base hit. ... Miami started Brian Anderson at third base, giving Derek Dietrich the night off. Anderson singled in his first at-bat and recorded his first major league RBI. ... Atlanta RF Nick Markakis was not in the starting lineup, replaced by Jace Peterson. ... Atlanta 3B Rio Ruiz had hit safely in all six games he has played since being added to the roster on Sept. 1. ... Miami 1B Justin Bour, on the disabled list since July 25 with a right oblique strain, could be activated as soon as Friday.

Nationals complete sweep of Marlins

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Ryan Zimmerman just kept running.

The Washington Nationals first baseman scored from first on a first-inning Howie Kendrick double. And after crossing home plate, Zimmerman just kept sprinting, into the dugout tunnel at Marlins Park.

That's fitting for the Nationals, who haven't stopped running past the competition all season.

On Wednesday night, Zimmerman also slugged his 31st homer and Gio Gonzalez won his 14th game as Washington swept the Miami Marlins with a 8-1 win.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker saw Zimmerman sprint into the dugout and said he was just glad he didn't get hurt. And Zimmerman acknowledged it wasn't his brightest idea ever.

"I could've stopped," Zimmerman said. "I kept going ... might as well do something stupid."

If so, that was the only dumb thing Zimmerman did on a night in which he went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

The first-place Nationals (85-54) increased their division lead over the second-place Marlins (67-72) to 18 games. The Nationals have won eight straight games in their series against Miami.

Against all competition, Miami has lost four games in a row and nine of its past 10. And the only run Miami scored on Wednesday came on an RBI groundout by Miguel Rojas in the bottom of the ninth.

"It's been awhile now," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of his team's slump. "It's been like 10 days of this. I wish I had an answer for it, but I honestly don't."

Gonzalez (14-6, 2.50 ERA) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while pitching out of several jams. Gonzalez leads the majors in batting average allowed with runners in scoring position.

"He's like Houdini out there," Baker said.

A native of Miami Dade County, Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA against the Marlins this year. For his career against the Marlins, he is 10-3 with a 1.85 ERA.

Gonzalez is now 81-0, with 21 no-decisions, when he gets four or more runs in support.

Unlike previous times when Gonzalez has pitched in Miami, his family was not at Marlins Park for this game. In fact, there were few fans of anyone at the game.

With Hurricane Irma bearing down on Miami and due to arrive by this weekend, there were less than 800 fans at Marlins Park at first pitch.

"Yes, you want fans here," Gonzalez said. "But at the same time, we prefer they be cautious, and safe and prepare for what's coming."

Miami rookie Dillon Peters (0-1), who pitched seven scoreless innings against the last-place Philadelphia Phillies last week in his major-league debut, was not as good against the first-place Nationals. He lasted just five innings and allowed six hits, two walks and three runs. He struck out six.

"They were coming ready to swing at the fastball," Peters said of Washington, "and I left a lot over the plate."

Washington opened the scoring with two runs in the first. Trea Turner hit a leadoff single, advanced on an Anthony Rendon walk and scored on Zimmerman's single. The Nationals made it 2-0 on Kendrick's RBI double.

Zimmerman led off the fourth with a homer to center to give Washington a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Miami used two walks and a single to load the bases with no outs. But J.T. Realmuto lined out to shortstop, and Gonzalez struck out Tyler Moore and rookie Brian Anderson to end the threat. Anderson, looking for an RBI walk, was called out looking at a 3-2 fastball down the middle.

Miami threatened again the fifth, getting runners on first and second. But Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 53 homers, bounced into an inning-ending double play.

After loading the bases with no outs, Washington doubled its lead to 6-0 in the sixth. The RBI sent to Jayson Werth (sacrifice fly), Jose Lobaton (walk) and Adam Lind (groundout).

Taylor, who like Gonzalez is from south Florida, made it 7-0 with his 14th homer, a solo shot in the eighth, and Rendon had an RBI single in the ninth.

"It's been hectic trying to get everything situated for myself and my family," Taylor said of the impending arrival of Irma. "But I'm kind of glad I'm here, close to home. It gives me a chance to help out before I leave."

NOTES: Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki got his 25th pinch hit, three short of John Vander Wal's major-league season record set in 1995. ... In terms of multi-hit games this year, the Marlins have four of the top 11 batters in the National League: LF Marcell Ozuna (second), 2B Dee Gordon (fourth), CF Christian Yelich (sixth) and RF Giancarlo Stanton (11th). ... Washington entered with three of the top five starters in the majors in terms of ERA: Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Stasburg. ... Miami opens a four-game series at the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. ... Washington returns home Thursday to open a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Adrianza, Escobar propel Twins past Rays

(TSX / STATS) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Minnesota Twins needed contributions from the top and bottom of the order to avoid a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field.

Ehire Adrianza hit a three-run homer and Eduardo Escobar was 3-for-5 with three RBIs to lift the Twins to a 10-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon.

The Twins (72-67) climbed back into a tie with the Los Angeles Angels for the American League's second wild-card spot by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to break a 6-6 tie.

"Every time we'd pull ahead, they'd get right back to even," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It's frustrating, and a little bit of a test to see how you can persevere through a game like that after you've lost a few in a row. We stayed after it and some guys stepped up big late in the game."

Tampa Bay (70-71) received home runs from Evan Longoria, Lucas Duda and Kevin Kiermaier but made a crucial defensive mistake late in the game.

Minnesota took a 7-6 lead in the seventh on a throwing error by Rays reliever Steve Cishek that allowed Brian Dozier to score from first base. After Dozier walked, Jorge Polanco laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Cishek fired the ball past first baseman Duda and into the right field bullpen. Polanco ended up on third with the two-base error.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish off a series," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We won a series, which was important. I liked the way the guys competed. We get down, they came back, we get down again and they come back again. Frustrating loss just because it got separated there in the seventh."

Escobar made it 8-6 with a bloop single to right-center that plated Polanco. He would eventually score on a bases-loaded fielder's choice by pinch hitter Max Kepler.

The Twins added an insurance run in the ninth when Escobar had a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Robbie Grossman.

"I think the important thing here is that the offense woke up," Escobar said through a translator. "We didn't hit as well in the first few games. We leave here with a positive mind. Knowing that we won and that the offense woke up again, I think it gives us good momentum to go into Kansas City."

The Rays tied the game at 6 in the fifth on Kiermaier's 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast to right-center.

Dozier led off the game with a home run to left field off Rays starter Blake Snell. Longoria tied it in the bottom of the first with a solo shot off Twins starter Blake Snell.

Adrianza gave the Twins a 4-1 lead in the second with his blast to left. Duda tied the game in the bottom of the third with a three-run homer to dead center.

"Sweeping is hard in the big leagues," Rays outfielder Steven Souza Jr. said. "We just had so many opportunities to win this ball game and everybody was fighting. We know we gained a game, could've gained three and that would have been an enormous swing."

Minnesota scratched across two runs in the top of the fifth on Escobar's two-run single.

Neither starter factored into the decision. Snell gave up six runs in four-plus innings while Slegers surrendered five runs and walked two in four-plus frames.

"The walks are always something I pride myself on not doing," Slegers said. "When I give up runs like that, I can always look back to the walks as the rally starter for the opposing team."

Taylor Rogers (6-3) struck out two in 1 1/3 innings to get the win. Cishek (3-2) took the loss.

NOTES: Rays RHP Chris Archer played catch again and will start Friday against the Red Sox, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash. The originally scheduled starter, RHP Austin Pruitt, pitched in relief Wednesday. ... Twins OF Miguel Sano did some light running Wednesday in Minnesota and is likely to take batting practice Thursday. ... Rays 1B Logan Morrison (stomach flu) was scratched from the lineup for a second consecutive day but performed pinch hit duties in the ninth. ... Twins 1B/C Joe Mauer entered the game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1 with a walk, snapping his 14-game hit streak.

Odorizzi, Rays shut down Twins

(TSX / STATS) -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Odorizzi needed a strong start Tuesday night and the Tampa Bay Rays needed to get back to .500 to keep pace in the wild-card race.

Odorizzi took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and pitched the Rays to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field.

Odorizzi (8-7) retired the first 12 batters he faced and 18 of 19 before Joe Mauer ripped a single that hit second base before going into center field to break up the no-hitter with one out in the seventh.

"Just wasn't meant to be," Odorizzi said of the no-hit bid. "The bases have been there since they created the game so that's just how it happens. (Mauer) has had a lot of hits in his career so you really can't do too much about it."

After 6 2/3 scoreless innings, Odorizzi was pulled for reliever Dan Jennings with the Rays ahead 2-0. The right-handed starter gave up the one hit, struck out six, walked one and threw 90 pitches, 56 for strikes.

"It's nice to see some adjustments are reaping some benefits," Odorizzi said. "I just need to replicate my mentality, everything (in the next start). Hopefully, it keeps snowballing and that's the start that kind of gets me going."

Lucas Duda hit a solo home run and an RBI double to provide the scoring for Tampa Bay (70-70).

In the ninth, Rays closer Alex Colome gave up a solo home run to Twins designated hitter Robbie Grossman to cut the lead in half. The Twins then put runners on first and third with one out, but Eddie Rosario grounded into a double play to end the game.

Colome posted his major-league-high 42nd save of the season.

"That was really exciting there at the end," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Good to see Alex come through. Nothing is easy. He makes it look easy a lot of times and he got challenged tonight. Odorizzi was outstanding. That's probably the highlight of the night as far as seeing him good."

Duda gave the Rays a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when he sent an 0-2 pitch from Twins starter Bartolo Colon into the right field bleachers. It was his 27th home run of the season.

"I tried to go fastball high and outside but obviously I left it in the middle," Colon said. "He took some good swings and he's a good hitter. He's my former teammate so he knows me pretty well."

Duda struck again in the sixth after Evan Longoria reached base on a two-out single, ripping a double down the right field line. Longoria scored to give the Rays a 2-0 lead.

"I've played with Bartolo for a couple years and I kind of know what he does," Duda said. "But he's a veteran and mixes it up. Just try to elevate a pitch and put a good swing on it."

Colon (4-3) gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He threw 85 pitches, 61 for strikes, striking out five and walking one.

Grossman's eighth home run of the year landed in the Rays' stingray tank.

Minnesota (71-67) has lost four of its past five games.

"(Odorizzi) had his elevated fastball, split and curveball down in the zone," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Obviously we had a tough time figuring it out. It was a well-pitched game on both sides.

"(Colon) had a really good night, I thought. It was one good. Duda stepped up tonight and got a couple of big hits. We made a push at the end but the shift got it. It was a tough loss."

NOTES: The announced attendance was 6,509 -- the smallest home crowd in the Rays' 20-year history. ... Rays 1B/DH Logan Morrison was scratched from the lineup with a stomach flu. ... Twins C Jason Castro started and went 0-for-2. Manager Paul Molitor plans to give him a day off Wednesday. ... Rays RHP Chris Archer (forearm stiffness) played catch and likely will do the same Wednesday. Manager Kevin Cash said he would make a decision on Archer's next start soon.

Nationals' Strasburg dominates Marlins again

(TSX / STATS) -- MIAMI -- Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg extended his overall scoreless streak to 26 innings.

He extended his scoreless streak in matchups against the Miami Marlins to 18 innings.

In short, he's been dominating this year, which is what makes the apparently minor discomfort he suffered in his right calf on Tuesday night such a major concern.

"I've been dealing with that for a little bit," Strasburg said after pitching six scoreless innings to lead Washington to a 2-1 win over Miami on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. "It seems like I lose a lot of fluids.

"It doesn't matter how much I drink, it just goes right through me. IVs have seemed to help me in the past, but they weren't willing to give me one here. ... I've just got to find a way. I went as long as I could."

Strasburg (12-4) did just fine in the time he was out there, allowing six hits and no walks. He struck out eight, lowering his ERA to 2.78. It was just the third time this year Strasburg did not walk a batter. But in those other two games, he struck out only five batters combined.

His career record against Miami is 15-7, including 3-0 this season. Strasburg shut the Marlins out last week, but Miami manager Don Mattingly said his team was improved this time around.

"We didn't get to him, but we had better at-bats," Mattingly said. "We just need to have production at some point, and we weren't able to do that."

Strasburg was supported by Daniel Murphy, who homered for the second straight game Tuesday and nearly had another. Murphy, who went 2-for-4, has 22 homers and 88 RBIs this season.

Miami's Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 53 homers, did not go deep in this game, finishing 0-for-4. However, he did get his glove above the right-field wall, stealing the aforementioned potential homer from Murphy.

Odrisamer Despaigne (0-3), making just his fourth start of the year, took a tough-luck loss. He allowed five hits, two walks and one run in seven innings, striking out two.

"Hopefully I can stay in the rotation," Despaigne said. "The (Nationals) are a good hitting team, but I located my pitches."

With the win, Washington (84-54) leads the National League East by 17 games over the second-place Marlins (67-71), who have lost eight of their past nine games.

Washington opened the scoring in the second. Adam Lind hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a Jayson Werth groundout and scored on Pedro Severino's RBI single.

Miami put its first runner in scoring position in the seventh on a two-base error by Werth, who dropped a two-out fly ball in right field. But Miguel Rojas, who reached on the play, was stranded when pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki grounded out to second.

Washington went ahead 2-0 when Murphy pulled his homer to right off of reliever Kyle Barraclough.

Sean Doolittle allowed an unearned run in the ninth and picked up his 18th save of the season, including 15 with Washington. Pinch hitter Tyler Moore drove in Marcell Ozuna with a sacrifice fly. But rookie Brian Anderson lined out to end the game.

After it was over, the big topic was Strasburg and his cramping issue.

"He threw the ball great," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "It (cramping) just came up again. I don't know what to make of it."

NOTES: Miami nominated 2B Dee Gordon and Washington nominated 1B Ryan Zimmerman for the 2017 Roberto Clemente Award, which goes to the major-leaguer who best exemplifies sportsmanship, community involvement and contribution to the team. Each major league team nominates one player, and the winner is announced during the World Series. ... Miami named OF Brian Miller and RHP Max Duval as Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month. Both of them play for Low-A Greensboro. ... Nationals RF Bryce Harper, out since August 12 due to a left leg injury, has yet to begin running. ... The Nationals will throw LHP Gio Gonzalez (13-6, 2.58 ERA) against Marlins LHP Dillon Peters (0-0, 0.00 ERA) in Wednesday's series finale. Gonzalez is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA against Miami this year. Peters tossed seven scoreless innings in his major league debut last week.