Final: Red Sox 5, Twins 4 (10) - Sox work wild walkoff win

In a game full of comebacks, the Red Sox rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 10th and squeaked past the Minnesota Twins, 5-4.

After the Twins scored twice in the top of the inning, the Sox got a rally of their own going. Reese McGuire lashed a two-run single to left and Alex Verdugo drove a base hit just shy of the foul pole, hitting the wall in right field and scoring the winning run.

It was the second walkoff win of the season and the first win in extra innings.

Chris Sale turned in his best start of the season, limiting the Twins to a single run while fanning 11 in six innings.

WHO: Red Sox (8-9) vs. Minnesota Twins (10-6)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Chris Sale (1-1, 11.25) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (2-0, 0.53)
TV/RADIO: NESN/MLBN; WEEI 93.7 FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Verdugo RF
Devers 3B
Turner DH
Yoshuda LF
Hernandez 2B
Casas 1B
Wong C
Duran CF
Chang SS

TWINS

Solano 1B
Correa SS
Buxton DH
Miranda 3B
Garlick LF
Vazquez C
Taylor CF
Kepler RF
Castro 2B

***premium**

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are 3-1 in their last 4 games...They have alternated series wins and losses this season: 2-1 vs. BAL, 0-3 vs. PIT, 3-0 at DET, 0-4 at TB, 3-1 vs. LAA. The Sox are in a stretch of 19 days without an off day from 4/8-26 (5-5 so far), their longest stretch of the season...They will not play on more than 10 consecutive days again until 8/15-30 (16 games). Each of the last 2 World Series champions was 8-9 or worse through 17 games: the 2022 Astros (8-9) and 2021 Braves (7-10)....In their last 4 games, Red Sox relievers have posted a 0.98 ERA (2 ER/18.1 IP) while striking out 17 batters and walking only 2. Monday vs. LAA, Kutter Crawford allowed only 1 hit in 6.1 scoreless innings of relief...He was the first Sox pitcher to throw 6.0+ scoreless innings in relief since Tim Wakefield on 9/2/02 vs. KC (6.0 IP).  In the 8th and 9th innings combined, the Red Sox lead MLB with a 1.20 ERA (4 ER/30.0 IP)...The Sox have outscored opponents in those innings, 19-5. The Sox are 6-0 when leading after 6 innings. The Red Sox are 1 of 3 teams in MLB without a blown save this season (5-for-5)...The other teams are TB (3-for-3) and MIA (3-for-3). : On Sunday vs. LAA, the Red Sox defeated the Angels in 1 hour and 57 minutes, tied for MLB’s shortest game of 2023 (also MIN at MIA on 4/4)...Those are the only 2 games played in 2 hours or less this season. Sunday marked the Sox’ fastest 9-inning game since 4/22/99 at DET (1:49, 1-0 loss), their fastest at Fenway Park since 10/1/89 vs. MIL (1:50, 5-1 win). ... The Red Sox are scheduled to face a right-handed starting pitcher in each game of this series vs. MIN, after facing a left-handed starter in 8 of their previous 10 games. Left-handed starters are 1-4 with a 6.03 ERA in 9 games against the Sox (23 ER/34.1 IP), while righthanded starters are 4-1 with a 5.68 ERA in 8 games against them (24 ER/38.0 IP). ....The Red Sox are 3-1 so far on their 7-game homestand vs. LAA (4 games) and MIN (3 games). In home games, the Sox rank 3rd in the AL in runs (55) and OBP (.340) and 4th in OPS (.769). The Sox sold 34,000+ tickets to each of their 4 games vs. LAA: Friday (36,680, sellout), Saturday (36,594, sellout), Sunday (34,790), and Monday (34,942). ...13 of the Sox’ first 17 games have been decided by 3 runs or fewer...The only team in MLB with more such games is CLE (14). The Red Sox’ 6 games decided by 1 run are tied for 3rd most in MLB behind CLE (9) and LAA (7)...Their 4 losses by 1 run trail only CIN (5) for most in MLB. 7 of the Sox’ 9 losses have come by 3 runs or fewer, including 1 loss by 2 runs and 4 by 1 run. The Sox have come from behind in 6 of their 8 wins. ....The Red Sox are tied with LAD for 3rd in MLB in runs scored (91), trailing TB (115) and BAL (94). The Sox also rank in the AL’s top 5 in various offensive categories (see below). The Sox rank 9th in the majors in OPS against starting pitchers (.787), compared to 18th in OPS against relief pitchers (.688). The Sox have been hit by a pitch 11 times, tied for most in the AL and 2nd most in MLB (NYM-14, TB-11)....Over their first 17 games, the Red Sox have scored 9+ runs 5 times (4-1 record), 4-8 runs 6 times (3-6 record), and 0-3 runs 6 times (1-5 record). The Sox’ 5 games with 9+ runs scored rank 2nd in MLB, trailing only TB (7). Since 1950, the only other seasons in which the Sox scored 9+ runs in as many as 5 of their first 17 games were 1995, 2012, and 2018 (also 5 games).....The Red Sox are 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts...That is their longest streak of successful attempts to begin a season since 2015 (12-for-12). The only other teams that have not been caught stealing this season are the White Sox (13-for-13) and Royals (10-for-10). ... Rafael Devers leads the AL with 7 HR, 1 behind Pete Alonso (NYM) and Patrick Wisdom (CHC) for the MLB lead. Prior to Devers, the last Red Sox player to be leading the AL outright in HR entering play on 4/18 was Fred Lynn in 1979 (6 HR)....The Red Sox have scored in either the 1st or 2nd inning in 10 of their 17 games (21 total runs). The Sox’ 12 runs in the 1st inning are tied for 4th most in the AL behind LAA (17), TB (15), and MIN (13)... Their 9 runs in the 2nd inning are tied for 3rd most in the AL behind BAL (12) and TB (10). PINCH ME!: The Red Sox have used a pinch-hitter 19 times this season, going 7-for-16 with 3 RBI (2B, HR, BB). The Sox’ .438 AVG (7-for-16) in pinch-hit situations leads MLB...Their 7 pinch hits are 4 more than any other team...Raimel Tapia leads MLB in pinch hits (3).

NOTES:  

* Second baseman Christian Arroyo was held out of the lineup, having suffered a tight hamstring running out a ball to first Monday. Alex Cora said he expected Arroyo back in a day or two. "I don't think it's an IL thing,'' said Cora. "We'll take care of him and he'll be ready in a few days.'' Meanwhile, Kiké Hernandez took over at second base.

* James Paxton is scheduled to throw five innings Wednesday for Worcester, but will do after an opener. "Why not try it once?'' said Cora. "II think it's good for him to get at least one try of (pitching in relief).''

* Tuesday marked the return to Fenway of former Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, who was dealt to Houston at the trade deadline last August then signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Minnesota as a free agent over the winter. "A special player,'' said Cora. "When he signed here, he went through every step -- from going to the academy (in the Dominican Republic) to winning a World Series with us.'' 

* RHP Zack Kelly, who was placed on the 60-day IL Sunday, was scheduled to visit a specialist to get a second opinion on his ailing right elbow.

* Vazquez came to the ballpark with Hernandez, who picked him up at his hotel. "Weird,'' said Vazquez of the feeling of being at Fenway as a visiting player. Vazquez said he was't surprised that the Red Sox weren't more aggressive in signing him as a free agent. "The trade was hard,'' he said. "I was ready to test free agency. I love everybody (with the Red Sox), but I was ready. (At the deadline), I was the only guy who got traded and I was like, "Why'd you trade me? Why?' But who knows? It's a business and now we're here, a new chapter in my career and I'm very happy and my family is happy.''