The Minnesota Twins got out to an early lead against Rick Porcello on Tuesday night, and then needed to hold on for a 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The leaders of the American League Central Division would bust out the bats over the first four innings off the Boston starter. Miguel Sano singled in Max Kepler in the top of the first inning, and then Jake Cave hit a two run triple to right with two outs in the third to make it 3-0 Minnesota. Then in the fifth inning Nelson Cruz led off with a solo homer to center field. The next hitter Luis Arraez singled to right, before Sano lost one deep into the center field bleachers for a two run homer to make it 6-0 Twins and end the night for Porcello who didn’t record an out in the frame. The homerun was estimated at 452 feet, landing on top of the camera platform above the bleachers just under the center field jumbotron.
Boston (74-63) fought back in the bottom of the fifth after just having one hit over the first four innings. Mitch Moreland led off with a walk, and Christian Vazquez followed with a single to left. A wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third with Brock Holt batting, and Holt would hit an RBI groundout to score Moreland. Jackie Bradley Jr. followed with a walk to put two runners on again, but Mookie Betts flied out to right for the second out. With one swing of the bat the Red Sox got right back in the game, as Rafael Devers took a 2-2 pitch down the right field line wrapping it fair around the Pesky Pole for a three run homerun to cut it to 6-4. It was the 29th homerun of the season for Devers.
With the same score with two outs and noone on base in the eighth inning, Andrew Benintendi got the hosts a bit closer as he took left handed Twins bullpen specialist Taylor Rogers into the first row of monster seats in left on a 1-0 pitch for a solo homerun to make it 6-5. Moreland was then hit by the next pitch. Vazquez though struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox bullpen continued to keep them in the game all night after Porcello exited, firing five scoreless and hitless innings with eight strikeouts including three by the swinging variety by Brandon Workman in the top of the ninth inning. Holt led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, and Marco Hernandez pinch ran for him. Gorkys Hernandez then pinch hit and laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance M. Hernandez to second base. Betts hit one hard up the middle but right back at Rogers for the second out as Hernandez made it down to third base. Devers was the last chance of the night but would strike out swinging on three pitches to end the game, allowing Rogers to pick up the save.
Porcello (12-11) in the loss had a final stat line of 4.0+ innings allowing six runs on hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. Josh Taylor, Brian Johnson, Marcus Walden, Darwinzon Hernandez, Andrew Cashner, and Workman were all great out of the pen to give Boston a chance to come back. Devers had the three run homer to lead the offense, while Benintendi had two hits. Arraez and Sano had two hits each for the 86-52 Twins in the win, with Sano providing the game winner with the three run blast in the fifth. In a bullpen game for Minnesota, Lewis Thorpe (2-1) won despite giving up three runs on two hits in 3.1 innings. Rogers picked up his 23rd save.
Eduardo Rodriguez will take to the mound for Boston in game two of the series on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. Right hander Jose Berrios will start for Minnesota.
Boston third baseman Rafael Devers celebrates after hitting a double against the Baltimore Orioles recently at Fenway Park. Devers had a three run homer on Tuesday night in a Red Sox loss to the Minnesota Twins. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner
