All you need to know about the Red Sox' 7-1 win over the Twins, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Starters' run continues: The Red Sox won their ninth straight, and they did it, again, on the back of a strong pitching performance from their starting pitcher. Eduardo Rodriguez allowed a first-inning run and then very little after that, providing the Sox with five solid innings. In the nine-game streak the Sox are riding, they've had a starter give them at least five innings in every victory. In that span, their starters are 6-0 with a 3.38 ERA. Rodriguez had to battle through the first inning, allowing three hits and throwing 22 pitches, but he got far more effective as the game continued. After the first inning, he allowed just one more hit -- a leadoff double to Jorge Polanco to start the fourth and Polanco never advanced any further. Even better for the Sox: after erupting for six runs in the fifth, they could lift Rodriguez after the bottom of the inning and keep his pitch count at just 76 pitches.
Patience with Berrios: For the first four innings, the Red Sox got virtually nothing done against Minnesota starter Jose Berrios. Through four innings, in fact, they could claim just two hits and had only baserunner in scoring position. But in the fifth, they started to break through, and with the righthander having to pitch out of the stretch for one of the few times in the game, he seemed to lose his delivery. When he walked in the tying run with his second walk of the inning, he was lifted, but the Sox kept making the Twins work. Reliever Ryan Duffey suffered from his own control lapses, issuing two more walks of his own. In the meantime, Alex Verdugo's bases-loaded single scored two and snapped the tie, and from there, the Sox were off and running. Hard to believe that had so little offense to show for their first four innings.
TURNING POINT
In the fifth inning, with the game tied at 1-1 and the bases loaded, it appeared as though the Twins might be able to survive an inning that had seen the Red Sox already send six hitters to the plate when Enrique Hernandez fanned for the second out. But Verdugo barreled up a fastball from reliever Ryan Duffey and drove it to right center to give the Sox their first lead of the game, and the big inning rolled on.
TWO UP
Rafael Devers: The third baseman had two hits in the fifth inning alone -- a leadoff double to spark the big rally, and a single to right to score the final two runs that inning. He also narrowly missed another extra-base hit in the second when Twins outfielder Jake Cave robbed him with a catch against the wall.
Garrett Whitlock: The Rule 5 pick continues to demonstrate that he very much belongs with a perfect inning of relief following a six-day layoff.
ONE DOWN
Christian Vazquez: The Red Sox catcher was 0-for-2 in the nightcap, and struck out to leave two runners on base in the fifth inning.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That's a good baseball team (the Twins) and to win both games and win the series, that makes it special.'' Alex Cora
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Red Sox became the first team in MLB history to begin the season with a losing streak of at least three games and follow it by winning nine in a row.
- The Sox have scored 67 runs in their last nine games.
- In the current nine-game winning streak, only twice have the Sox failed to score at least six runs.