MINNEAPOLIS -- All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 4-1 loss to the Twins, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Price streak snapped: Coming into Wednesday, Price had won four starts in a row and allowed eight runs total in those four outings. The lefty didn't pitch poorly in the loss, but he didn't pitch well enough to make up for his team's meager offensive output, either. He was twice victimized by the longball -- in the first when Robbie Grossman led off the inning with a solo shot to left, and again in the fourth when Max Kepler somehow turned on a changeup in and kept it fair to right for a two-run blast. "That was the tough one,'' he said of the homer allowed to Kepler. "I had runners at first and second with nobody out, got a big double-play ball and just couldn't get that third out. When I've struggled this year, that's been the reason.'' Indeed, Price has often been victimized by big two-out hits this season and this was no different. The strange thing? Price had allowed only one homer in his previous 30 innings, then managed to allow two in the span of the first four innings Wednesday. It marked only the second outing this season in which he's allowed multiple homers.
The Red Sox' offense continues to slumber: After managing just two runs in the series opener Tuesday, the Red Sox saw that output cut in half Wednesday. They also managed only four hits and had only extra-base hit -- a first-inning double by Xander Bogaerts. Despite being among the leaders in nearly every offensive category for the season, the Sox have scored two runs or fewer in the first nine games of this road trip. Worse, when they do get chances, they can't seem to do anything with them. After going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the opener, they were hitless in nine such at-bats Wednesday. "Everybody has to contribute,'' said Alex Cora. "As a team, we're struggling. We're not hitting the ball out of the ballpark and we're not putting together good at-bats with men in scoring position. We've got to find a way.''
Double steal backfires: With the offense scuffling, Cora tried to get aggressive on the bases in the second innings and it blew up in the Red Sox' face. The Sox had runners at the corners -- with Brock Holt at third and Jackie Bradley Jr. at first -- when Cora put the double steal on. But the pitch from Lance Lynn was in the dirt and was handled by Mitch Garver. Holt, apparently, was unsure of what happened with the ball as Bradley took off for second. Garver didn't throw through, but instead saw Holt hung up off third. He threw down and got Holt in a rundown, which eventually resulted in the third out of the inning. "With two strikes, we were going to send the runner,'' explained Cora. "If ( Garver) throws down, he can walk home. But in that pitch, the catcher just blocked the ball (in the dirt) and (Holt) was in no-man's land and he got thrown out. We tried to steal a run there.'' The out resulted in the 32nd unforced out on the bases this season for the Sox, the most in baseball.
TURNING POINT
In the fifth inning, the Sox got walks by Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi, giving them baserunners at first and second with one out and the middle of their batting order due. But Xander Bogaerts hit into a forceout and J.D. Martinez was retired on a groundout to second, and the threat was over almost as quickly as it began. The Red Sox would get exactly one baserunner the rest of the way.
ONE UP
Mookie Betts: Betts tried to set the tone at the top of the lineup, with half of the Red Sox' four hits -- singles in the third and seventh. But neither time did it translate into anything for the Red Sox dormant offense.
TWO DOWN
Brian Johnson: Johnson came in with the Red Sox trailing 3-1 to handle the bottom of the eighth and while he held the Twins scoreless, it was a bumpy ride. He walked the first batter he faced and needed 30 pitches to get out of the inning.
J.D. Martinez: Not only was he 0-for-4, but he ended innings in each of his first three at-bats and stranded a total of three teammates.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We've got a chance (Thursday) to make it a good trip. It looked like it was going to be a great one, but we've got a chance to save the trip and go home (with a winning record).''
— Alex Cora
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Red Sox had won five of the last series against the Twins, but have already dropped this one.
- This is just the third losing series on the road the Sox have had this season.
- The seven hits allowed by David Price were the most he's given up since April 28.
- Andrew Benintendi has reached base in every career game (eight) he's played against the Twins.
- Mookie Betts had two hits to give himself 23 multi-hit games this season.