The Red Sox allowed just two hits over nine innings Thursday night -- and still managed to find a way to lose, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Minnesota Twins.
Boston pitchers issued nine walks, and twice that came back to haunt them. Starter Nathan Eovaldi walked the bases loaded in the fifth when a run scored on a double play. In the seventh, Andrew Cashner loaded the bases on three walks, and Matt Barnes yielded a run-scoring single, snapping a 1-1 tie.
The only run for the Red Sox came in fourth when Mookie Betts homered off the right field foul pole, his third homer in the last two nights. Betts, in fact, collected two of the four hits for the Sox -- he had a double in the sixth.
J.D. Martinez doubled high off the left field wall with Rafael Devers on first. Third base coach Carlos Febles waved Devers home, but he was thrown out.
WHO: Red Sox (75-64) vs. Minnesota Twins (86-53)
WHEN: 7:10
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE 1-1
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Boston 3-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 6.23) vs. LHP Martin Perez (9-6, 4.89)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:39 Other than Mookie Betts, Red Sox hitters are 0-for-22 tonight.
8:51 Perez has thrown just 70 pitches in six innings.
8:47 Throwing error on a pickoff attempt at second by Perez sends Betts to third and Xander Bogaerts to second. Big spot for Rafael Devers -- two runners in scoring position, two out.
8:30 That's it for Eovaldi, who goes five innings and throws 76 pitches. Strange decision with two straight bullpen games facing the Sox over the next two days -- even considering the small army of relievers on the roster.
8:20 Eovaldi gets into trouble by loading the bases with three walks and no out, but limits the damage with a double play (as a run scores) and a flyout.
8:03 Mookie Betts drills A 95-MPH two-seamer off the Pesky Pole for leadoff homer in the fourth. First baserunner of the night for the Sox. That's also the third homer for Betts in his last seven plate appearances and fifth in his last six games.
7:53 Red Sox have gone nine up, nine down against Martin Perez, who's using a sharp cutter to get a lot of balls hit into the ground.
7:42 Nathan Eovaldi is working at a quick pace, and doing a nice job of getting ahead early in the count.
7:15 Nice jump throw from Xander Bogaerts in the shortstop hole to begin a 6-4-3 double play.
LINEUPS:
RED SOX
Betts RF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Vazquez C
Benintendi LF
Travis 1B
Hernandez CF
Holt 2B
TWINS
Kepler RF
Arraez SS
Cruz DH
Rosario LF
Sano 3B
Garver C
Cave CF
Cron 1B
Schoop 2B
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are 12-5 in their last 17 after a 6-2 win Wednesday night...The Sox have been charged with nine errors in the last 31 games, the fewest of any team in that span...The Sox are 52-17 (.754) when their starting pitcher goes five or more innings and allow three earned runs or fewer, including 21-3 (.875) since the start of July and 13-1 (.929) in the last 14 such games.....Mookie Betts had a two-homer game Wednesday, tying him with Bobby Bonds for most two-homer games in the leadoff spot. Only Alfonso Soriano (19) and Brady Anderson (14) have more...Betts also had his fifth game with four or more hits and five or more RBI, passing Jim Rice, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia for the most in team history...Rafael Devers leads MLB in extra-base hits (81) and is tied for the lead in hits (177), doubles (48)….Sam Travis is 0-for-10 and J.D. Martinez is 0-for-9...Brock Holt has hit in five straight (7-for-20)….The Sox are 6-1 in Eovaldi's seven starts this season...Jake Cave is 3-for-4 lifetime against Eovaldi while Miguel Sano is 1-for-9 in his career....Mookie Betts is 4-for-11 against Martin Perez and Travis is 4-for-6...
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- David Price felt some tightness in his left wrist while throwing a bullpen Wednesday and is scratched from Friday's start. Price has been battling a cyst in the wrist and spent almost a month on the IL before returning last Sunday in Anaheim. That means the Sox will have bullpen games both Friday and Saturday against the Yankees.
- Michael Chavis suffered a setback while taking some swings Wednesday. He had felt tightness in his side after swinging last week on a rehab assignment and thought that he was headed in the right direction. The Sox had held out hope that he would be ready to return to the lineup this weekend, but with this setback and just over three weeks remaining in the season, there's a chance that Chavis has seen his last action of the year.