MINNEAPOLIS -- The Red Sox offense continued its feeble ways Wednesday night, leading to the team's fourth loss in the last five games, a 4-1 setback to the Minnesota Twins.
The Sox managed just four hits and were again brutal (0-for-9) with runners in scoring position. In this series, the Sox are 2-for-22 with RISP. Boston mustered just one hit after the fourth inning and the lone run they scored was unearned.
Meanwhile, David Price yielded two homers -- a solo shot to the first batter he faced, Robbie Grossman, and a two-run blast by Max Kepler in the fourth. He saw his winning streak snapped at four wins.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
11:11 Poor focus there by Brian Johnson, who allows Brian Dozier to swipe third without so much as a throw.
9:40 David Price had been doing a nice job extricating himself from jams in the first few innings, with two outs and a runner on third, he failed to get a changeup far enough inside and Max Kepler turned on it and hit a two-run shot to right.
9:26 The Red Sox struggles with RISP continue unabated. They're now 0-for-7 tonight and just 2-for-19 in the series.
8:46 Looked like the Red Sox were hoping to draw a throw to second as Bradley took off from first, but Brock Holt took too big a lead off third and was caught in a rundown. That's the 32nd unforced out on the bases for the Sox this season, which leads all of MLB.
8:42 Red Sox take advantage of some sloppy infield play by the Twins to even the game at 1-1. First baseman Logan Morrison made a nice stop of a grounder by Jackie Bradley Jr., but the throw to pitcher Lance Lynn covering was high and was dropped. In the meantime, the Red Sox are 2-for-16 in the series with RISP.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins
WHEN: 8:10 p.m.
WHERE: Target Field
WHAT'S UP: Teams play the middle game of the series tonight, with the Twins having won the opener with four runs in the eighth inning, leading to a 6-2 victory over the Sox. David Price goes for his fifth straight win, having allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings. The Sox have lost three of their last four games on this three-city road trip. Even with the recent losses, the Sox sport a .650 winning percentage on the road, the third best mark in Major League Baseball. The Twins, having come off the road, are 4-3 in their last seven games.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (8-4, 3.76) vs. RHP Lance Lynn (4-5, 4.98)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Beni ntendi LF
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Moreland 1B
Devers 3B
Holt 2b
Vazquez C
Bradley CF
TWINS
Grossman DH
Rosario LF
Escobar 3B
Dozier 2B
Morrison 1B
Adrianza SS
Kepler RF
Garver C
LaMarre CF
NEWS AND NOTES:
- For the third time in the last six games, Brock Holt gets the start at second base as Alex Cora makes good on his vow to split playing time more evenly between Holt and Eduardo Nunez at second. While Nunez has a slash line of .247/.277/.348, Holt is .300/.377/.417. "It's more about the offensive production,'' said Cora. "We know there's more there (for Nunez), but Brock, he puts together a good at-bat.''
- Drew Pomeranz played catch and when he returns home, he'll begin throwing off the mound. Cora dodged a question about whether Pomeranz might go to the bullpen when he returns to good health. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves,'' Cora said. 'When he's healthy, we'll make a decision. As of now, the most important thing is for him to be healthy.''
- Meanwhile, Dustin Pedroia was out on the field briefly and continues to get treatment, and reported slight improvement with his left knee.
- Marco Hernandez, who underwent shoulder surgery last year, then had another procedure earlier this spring, has recently visited a specialist in Vail, Colorado as his rehab has not gone as planned.