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Final: Red Sox 9, Twins 3 - Jarren Duran has 3 doubles, Verdugo remains hot, Casas homers
Red Sox have won five games in a row and are now three games above .500 and are now 1.5 games back of the final Wild Card. Jarren Duran was impressive, he had three doubles (3-for-3), Alex Verdugo had a bases clearing triple and four RBI in the win, he remains locked in at the plate. Triston Casas crushed his eighth homer of the year in the seventh inning over the right field wall, he went 2-for-5. James Paxton was good over 6 1/3 innings, he did give up a three-run blast to Christian Vázquez, his first of the season, while striking out seven and only walking one. Paxton is now 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP on the season.
WHO: Red Sox (38-35) at Twins (36-37)
WHEN: 7:40 p.m.
WHERE: Target Field, Minneapolis.
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox lead 3-1.
STARTING PITCHERS: Monday: LHP James Paxton (2-1, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP Pablo López (3-3, 4.27 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
1. Jarren Duran LF
2. Alex Verdugo RF
3. Rafael Devers 3B
4. Adam Duvall CF
5. Masataka Yoshida DH
6. Christian Arroyo 2B
7. Triston Casas 1B
8. Connor Wong C
9. Pablo Reyes SS
SP James Paxton
TWINS
1. Donovan Solano 1B
2. Edouard Julien 2B
3. Byron Buxton DH
4. Carlos Correa SS
5. Alex Kirilloff RF
6. Willi Castro CF
7. Kyle Farmer 3B
8. Joey Gallo LF
9. Christian Vázquez
SP Pablo López
WHAT'S UP
The Red Sox have won each of their last four games, the longest active winning streak in the AL. … Boston swept the Yankees this past weekend at Fenway Park. The Sox are now 5-1 against the Yankees. … James Paxton takes the mound to open the series in Minnesota. He’s posted a 1.50 ERA with no homers allowed in his last three starts (18.0 IP, four runs/three earned runs, 14 H, four walks). Paxton has struck out eight-plus batters in each of his last three starts (25 SO, 18.0 IP). … Triston Casas comes into the series with a four-game hitting streak, which he extended during the night cap against the Yankees on Sunday night.
WHO’S HOT
Kiké Hernández has 13 RBI over his last 21 games, after recording 16 in his first 44 games. He also will bring a three-game hitting streak into Target Field.
Alex Verdugo continues to be one of the hottest hitters on the 26-man roster. With hits in nine straight games, the 26-year-old ranks second in MLB with 24 doubles. Verdugo had big hits in the Sunday finale at Fenway Park, singling and scoring in the 4th inning last night vs. the Yankees to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.