Not all comeback stories have happy endings.
The Red Sox rallied gamely in the eighth inning to wipe out a 3-0 deficit on bases-clearing double from Alex Verdugo. But an inning later, the Twins used a single, a walk and a blooper into center to walk off the Red Sox 4-3, snapping their nine-game winning streak.
The loss was the first on the road for the Red Sox this season.
The Sox were stymied by starter Michael Pineda over the first seven innings, collecting just two hits before staging their rally against the Minnesota bullpen, culminating in a 10-pitch at-bat from Verdugo.
WHO: Red Sox (9-3) vs Minnesota Twins (5-7)
WHEN: 1:10 p.m.
WHERE: Target Field
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 3-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Richards (0-1, 10.29) vs. RHP Michael Pineda (1-0, 1.64)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez CF
Verdugo LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Vazquez C
Arroyo 2B
Renfroe RF
Cordero DH
Dalbec 1B
TWINS
Arraez LF
Polanco 2B
Cruz DH
Kepler RF
Astudillo 3B
Sano 1B
Cave CF
Jeffers C
Riddle SS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B8: Brutal call by home plate umpire Jordan Baker, who incorrectly calls a foul ball on what was clearly not. To make the team's point, Matt Andriese gets Ryan Jeffers swinging again for a third strike
T8: What an at-bat from Alex Verdugo -- a 10-pitch at-bat, capped by an opposite-field double into the left field corner, clearing the baes, and the Sox have come all the way back from being down 3-0 to being tied 3-3 with the potential go-ahead run in scoring position.
T7: Red Sox collect their first hit since the first -- an infield single by Xander Bogaerts, extending his Target Field hitting streak to 16 games -- but can't do anything with the opportunity. Sox have had just one baserunner in scoring position for the game.
B6: The third pitch from Hirokazu Sawamura -- a 95 mph four-seamer, running inside -- is driven into the second deck by Miguel Sano and the Twins extend their lead to 3-0.
B5: Richards is at 89 pitches after five, and it's assumed that it will be it. Strange outing, and two walks in the second didn't help his cause. But some misplays behind him hurt, too. When you get down to it, not a bad outing.
T5: Hunter Renfroe falls behind 0-and-2, then takes four straight balls to work a walk. That's the first baserunner for the Red Sox since Hernandez led off the the first with a single, ending a string of 14 straight retired.
T4: Red Sox unable to get anything going against Michael Pineda, who allowed a leadoff single to Kiké Hernández but has since retired the last 12 in a row.
B2: All things considered, getting out of that inning with just two runs scored is something of a win for Richards. But the fact that he needed 37 (!!!) pitches to get out of the inning means it's going to be a short outing for him.
B2: Long, strange inning for Richards, with a lengthy review. Two-run, bases loaded single by Luis Arraez puts the Twins up. Richards has already thrown 28 pitches this inning.
T2: Strange at-bat for Christian Vazquez, who initially thought he had been hit by a pitch. Turns out, the pitch hit the knob of his bat, rolled out behind the mound and the Twins threw over to first before the play went to replay. Upon review, it was ruled that he wasn't hit, and so, Vazquez is out on a 4-3.
B1: For the first time as a member of the Red Sox, Garrett Richards gets a scoreless first inning.
PRE-GAME STATS: The current nine-game winning streak is the 40th such streak in franchise history...The last time the Sox had a streak longer than nine in a row was July 2-12, 2018, when they ripped off 10 straight victories...During the current streak, the Red Sox have a +37. They've averaged 7.4 runs per game, batted .319 with a ,922 OPS. Their pitchers, meanwhile, have compiled a 3.11 ERA...The Sox enter this road trip finale unbeaten on the road (6-0). The only other times they've started this well on the road was a 7-0 road start in 1946 and 8-0 in 2002...Of their nine wins, the Sox have come from behind in six of them...They've won five games in which they trailed after the fifth inning or later, matching their total for all of the 2020 season....If the Sox can win Thursday, they'll have their first four-game sweep of the Twins since July of 2000...Xander Bogaerts has a 15-game hitting streak at Target Field...The only visiting players to have compiled longer streak there are Jose Altuve (17 games) and Mike Moustakas (16)...In the first three games of the series, the Red Sox have allowed a total of five runs...This season, Sox pitchers have allowed three runs or fewer in nine of the 12 games this season. The Red Sox rank 6th in the AL and 11th in the majors with a 3.67 ERA...During the win streak, Red Sox starters have pitched at least five innings in every game and, for the season, 11 of 12 games....Before this season, the last time Red Sox starters went at least five innings was July 2019 (9 G, 7/20-28)...The last streak longer than nine games was in 2018, when they had a 10-game stretch....The Sox' bullpen is unscored upon in the last eight innings in this series, allowing just one hit...Twins' hitters are 1-for-25 against Boston relievers in the series....The Sox lead the AL in runs scored (72), doubles (32), batting average (.283), OBP (.343), slugging (.474), and OPS (.816).. They're third in HR (16)....Lifetime, Nelson Cruz is just 5-for-31 against Garrett Richards while Miguel Sano is 3-for-10...Bogaerts is 9-for-29 with a homer in his career against Michael Pineda.
NOTES:
- J.D. Martinez, who has slumped some in recent days after a big series in Baltimore, is getting the day off with Franchy Cordero serving as DH.
- The Red Sox will need a sixth starter for Saturday at Fenway, and that choice will likely be Tanner Houck. But with bad weather in the forecast Friday for the homestand opener against the White Sox, the team's pitching plans could be altered in a big way.