Final: Twins 4, Red Sox 3 (17)

The Red Sox went a long way for a loss last night, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Minnesota Twins in 17 innings.

Max Kepler, who tied the game for the Twins in both the eighth and again in the 13th, singled home the winning run in a game that took five hours and 45 minutes.

The Red Sox had chance after chance to win the game, but were just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

The Sox used an incredible nine pitchers. Brian Johnson, who entered the game in the bottom of the 17th after Hector Velazquez was injured.

The Sox got homers from Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts to account for two of their runs. Devers singled home another in the fourth.

WHO: Red Sox at Minnesota Twins
WHEN: 8:10 p.m.
WHERE: Target Field
SERIES TO DATE: Boston 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (4-2, 3.52) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (4-3, 5.04)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

1:41    If you're keeping track -- someone has to -- the Sox are 1-for-13 with RISP tonight/this morning. They've stranded 14 baserunners.

12:33 The Red Sox' lead doesn't last long. Max Kepler, who earlier knocked in the tying run in the eighth, comes through again for the Twins, belting a game-tying homer off Hector Velazquez.

11:24  More issues with situational hitting for the Sox, who get a leadoff man at second, but can deliver Brock Holt with the go-ahead run. They're 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position tonight.

10:50 Another blown save by the Red Sox bullpen -- their 13th of the season. Brandon Workman has had trouble with walks all season and it came back to bite him in the eighth after he issued two, then surrendered a single to right to Max Kepler, scoring the tying run.

10:27  Another spectacular grab by Jackie Bradley Jr., who races back, leaps against the wall Spidey-style and robs Jorge Polanco of extra bases

10:13 First homer of the series for the Sox as Devers drives a curveball over the wall in right for his 12th homer of the season. The homer came on just the second pitch thrown by reliever Ryne Harper,

10:11  Shawaryn has a rocky inning, to say the least -- two hits, a hit batsman and a walk -- and yet strikes out Miguel Sano on three pitches to leave the bases loaded.

10:03 Christian Vazquez has become such a weapon for the Red Sox, throwing to bases and catching sleepy baserunners off-guard. Fellow catcher Mitch Garver nabbed at third for the first out.

9:52 Ominously, Price pulled after just 73 pitches and five innings. No explanation offered yet. Mike Shawaryn on.

9:35 For someone who hasn't played a lot of first base until the last few months, Michael Chavis has taken to the position pretty well. He ranged to his right on a hot shot by Jake Cave, then sprinted to the bag to just make the play.

9:16 C.J. Cron goes down after a 1-and-2 changeup and drives it to right-center, scoring Eddie Rosario from second. That snaps the Twins' scoreless streak against the Sox at 12.2 innings.

9:04 Rafael Devers continues to show what a good bad-ball hitter he is, going down to hook a pitch almost in the dirt down the right field line.  That single scores Mookie Betts from second.

8:55 Through three innings, it would seem that Price's stinker last week against Texas -- in which he was shelled for six runs in just 1.1 innings -- was indeed an aberration. He's allowed a leadoff single to start and nothing since.

8:51  Jackie Bradley Jr. once more makes it look easier than he is, tracking the ball off the bat so well, and drifting back almost casually to make the catch right in front of the wall.

8:42 Two innings in and once again, despite the two high-scoring lineups, the pitchers are carrying the day. David Price has fallen behind a few times, but come back in counts. Michael Pineda may not have the power to his fastball he one had, but is still effective staying out of the middle of the plate,

 

LINEUPS



RED SOX

Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Holt 2B
Chavis 1B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C

TWINS

Polanco SS
Garver C
Cruz DH
Rosario LF
Cron 1B
Gonzalez RF
Sano 3B
Cave CF
Schoop 2B

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox carry a six-game winning streak into tonight and are a season-high six games over .500...The Red Sox are also in the midst of an eight-game winning streak on the road...They've posted winning records in each of their last five road trips...Since April 19, they're 20-7 (.741) away from home, the best record in the majors in that time....The Sox are 10-4 in their last 14 games against the Twins....They've outscored Minnesota 80-38 in that time....During their current six-game overall winning streak, the Red Sox are averaging 6.8 runs per game, batting .306 with an OPS of .945 with 14 homers...Since April 30, the Red Sox have hit 77 homers, behind only the Twins in that span....Over their last 28 games, the Sox have 113 extra-base hits, the best figure in baseball....Since April 19, the Red Sox run differential is a plus 93, second only to the Twins, who are plus 105...This month, Red Sox pitching staff has a 3.77 ERA, the third-lowest in the American League....Since May 1, the Sox staff has a 3.80, fourth-best in the league...In that time, the big four of Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez are a combined 14-7 with a 3.16 ERA...Since May 20, Jackie Bradley Jr. is slashing .297/.385/.637 with 17 RBI, 16 runs scored and seven homers in 27 games...Xander Bogaerts leads the A.L. with doubles (22) and is second in runs scored (56) and tied for second in extra-base hits (36) and is fifth in OPS (.931)…..There are two qualified players in the American League with at least a .300 batting average, 50 runs scored and 40 RBI -- Bogaerts and teammate Rafael Devers...Bogaerts has a 10-game hitting streak at Target Field. He's batting .458 (22-for-48) with an OPS of 1.219 with 13 RBI in that span....J.D. Martinez has four homers in his last five games and 12 in the last 30 games...Among A.L. third baseman, Devers is first in hits (86), first in runs (52), first in doubles (18), second in RBI (45), second in extra-base hits (31) and second in steals (eight)….In the 16 games since he returned from the IL, Brock Holt is hitting .358 (19-for-53) with an OPS of .904 and 10 RBI and 13 runs scored...Michael Chavis has a seven-game hitting streak....Christian Vazquez has a five-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .391 (9-for-23)….Andrew Benintendi has a three-game hitting streak and an .842 OPS in his last 15 games...He ranks fourth in the A.L. with 23 two-out RBI....David Price is coming off his worst start of the season, having allowed six runs in just 1.1 innings last week against Texas...That outing snapped  a string of nine starts, during which he allowed no more than three runs...Over his last 13 starts against the Twins, Price has a 2.62 ERA....Nelson Cruz is 9-for-31 (.290) with two homers lifetime against Price...C.J. Cron is 8-for-24 (.333) with a homer...Jonathan Schoop is hitting just .185 against Price (5-for-27)….Miguel Sano is 1-for-11 with six strikeouts...Mookie Betts is 7-for-23 (.304) with two homers in his career against Michael Pineda....Bogaerts is 8-for-27 (.296) with a homer....Holt is just 4-for-19 (.211)...