The Boston Red Sox got a pair of homeruns from Hunter Renfroe, and held off a rally by the Minnesota Twins for an 11-9 victory at Fenway Park Tuesday night in the opener of a three game series. With the win, Boston moves into sole possession of the second American League wild card by a game over Oakland.
Jorge Polanco hit an RBI single in the top of the first inning for a quick 1-0 lead for Minnesota, before Travis Shaw evened things with a solo homerun in the third his second homer in as many days after a walkoff grand slam to beat Texas on Monday afternoon. The Twins went up 3-1 when Miguel Sano slapped a two-run single to centerfield in the fourth. In the bottom half of the fourth the Sox took the lead for good when Rafael Devers led off with a walk, Alex Verdugo hit a one out double, and Renfroe hit his first long ball of the night over the green monster in left to make it 4-3. The lead looked more comfortable in the fifth when Devers had an RBI double, Verdugo a two-run double, and then Renfroe for the second time in as many innings went deep this time a two-run shot and it was 9-3 Red Sox. The visitors chipped away on a Sano RBI groundout in the sixth, and then a two-run homerun from Polanco and a two-run single from Nick Gordon in the seventh slicing the score to 9-8. Kike Hernandez padded the advantage back to three with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Matt Barnes,who has struggled of late, came in for the save in the ninth but was greeted by a solo homerun from Josh Donaldson. Barnes then walked Luis Arraez and Mitch Garver before being replaced by Hansel Robles. Robles struck out Gordon and Sano, and got Jake Cave to line out to third base to pick up the save.
Tanner Houck got a no decision on the mound allowing three runs on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Josh Taylor (1-0) picked up the win in relief, Hirokazu Sawumara and Adam Ottavino each got a hold, with Robles getting his 11th save of the season. Verdugo had three hits, while Hernandez and Renfoe had two each with Renfroe driving in five runs with his two homeruns. Polanco, Donaldson, Arraez, Garver, Gordon, and Cave all had two hits each for Minnesota (54-71). Griffin Jax (3-2) started and lost on the mound allowing nine runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. Boston (72-55) will go with Nick Pivetta (9-6, 4.43 ERA) in game two Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. The Twins will counter with Bailey Ober (1-2, 4.38).
