BSJ Game Report: Twins 6, Red Sox 0 - Joe Ryan shuts down Boston bats; Brandon Walter eats innings in getaway game

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Twins, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Sox crushed in getaway day: Joe Ryan dominated for the Twins, throwing the first nine-inning complete game in five years in the MLB and shutting out the Red Sox, 6-0. The Sox have dropped two in a row after a six-game winning streak and split the series, 2-2, and will move on to a weekend date with the Chicago White Sox.

Walter does bullpen a solid: Brandon Walter made his MLB debut, going 6.2 innings in relief and allowing three runs on six hits (one homer). Came on in a tough spot with Justin Garza leaking oil in the second, but began to settle in a bit as things went on. Valiantly ate innings and wore it for a short-staffed bullpen. 

TURNING POINT

Bottom of the first and second: Never a good feeling when you know it’s going to be a long day basically from the start. When Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton hit absolute tanks off Garza during what was already a bullpen game for Boston, who already had the bags packed for Chicago, it was tough not to start looking ahead to Friday. Even if they were still down just 2-0 going into the second, a two-run double in the second put the game seemingly out of reach at 4-0. Not great. 

ONE UP

Brandon Walter: Walter wasn’t amazing, but he did enough to save Alex Cora from having to reach deep into the bullpen with an already-depleted pitching staff. That should go a long way in the clubhouse for the prospect.

TWO DOWN

Justin Garza: Garza struggled as the opener, barely making it into the second inning as he gave up four hits, three earned runs and two homers. Just didn’t have it against a team he’s done well against in the past.

The whole offense: Boston only mustered three hits and struck out nine times. Fell behind in the count early plenty of times. Jarren Duran (0-for-4, 2 K) was hitless for the second straight game, and Masataka Yoshida was 0-for-4. Adam Duvall, Triston Casas and Connor Wong were all 0-for-3.

NOTABLE 

Boston acquired RHP Tayler Scott from the Dodgers for cash. Moved RHP John Schreiber to the 60-day IL. 

Pablo Reyes exited midway through the game with another flareup of the right abdominal soreness that took him out of Tuesday’s lineup shortly before the game. 

It was the first time since April 1 (Chris Sale vs. Baltimore) that Boston gave up two first-inning home runs.

David Hamilton, who got the start at shortstop after stealing a base and scoring a run in his debut as a pinch-runner on Wednesday, picked up his first career hit. 

75 of Ryan's 110 pitches were fastballs. 

Buxton hit 931 feet of home runs (466 and 465). Both topped 111 mph for exit velocity (111.9 and 112.2). Tanks.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Pretty good," Cora told reporters of Walter's debut. "Overall, a really good one. Six and [two] thirds. Gave us what we needed. It just happens that they cashed in early in the game. ... The stuff was good early. ... Induced a lot of weak contact. Threw a lot of strikes."

UP NEXT

The Red Sox have a three-game set with the White Sox on deck in Chicago this weekend. Friday’s first pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. RHP Brayan Bello (4-4, 3.49 ERA) will face RHP Lucas Giolito (5-4, 3.54 ERA)