Tampa Bay 7, Minnesota 5

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Brad Radke began this spring training wondering if it would be his last.

Now, the longest current tenured player on the Minnesota Twins has his pitching coach wondering why.

"If he throws like he has this spring training, to be honest with you, I think he'll keep going," Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "He's been throwing the ball great."

Radke started Sunday at Hammond Stadium. Although the Twins lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-5, Radke did not get tagged with the loss. He gave up five hits and two earned runs in five innings, lowering his spring-training ERA from 6.75 to 5.82.

Radke struck out one and did not give up any walks.

"I'm ready to go," Radke said. "My slider is working pretty well, and that's my fourth-best pitch. It's working better for me this year."

As for whether he would retire after this season, Radke still couldn't say. Radke's contract expires at the end of this season. He has been with the Twins organization since they drafted him in the eighth round out of Tampa Jesuit High in 1991.

"I still haven't decided," Radke said. "I'll let you know down the road."

Torii Hunter hit an RBI double that scored Joe Mauer in the first inning Sunday, but the Twins trailed the Devil Rays 2-1 through the fifth inning after Travis Lee and Jorge Cantu each hit RBI singles.

Radke compiled a 9-12 record with a 4.04 ERA last season.

"He didn't feel good," Anderson said. "His arm was bothering him for much of the year. He was used to pitching 200-plus innings. He was used to going out there and being a bulldog.

"I think a lot of that (the retirement talk) came out of frustration. This spring, he has thrown as well as he ever has."

The Twins took a 5-4 lead in the seventh after Jason Tyner and Luis Maza each hit RBI singles.

The Devil Rays regained the lead for good in the eighth, when Devil Rays catcher Josh Paul hit an RBI double for a 6-5 lead. Paul then scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Ordaz for the final insurance run.

Game notes
The Twins released LHP Darrell May on Sunday. They also reassigned outfielders Josh Rabe and Andres Torres and first baseman Jason Hart to minor league camp. The Twins now have 36 players in camp. ... Right fielder Michael Cuddyer, who has been out with a strained left oblique muscle, said he's scheduled to swing off a tee on Monday and then take batting practice Tuesday. He said he has been feeling better.