Final: Twins 4, Red Sox 2

One big swing did in the Red Sox, who opened their road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Gio Urhsela swung at a pitch off the plate and slashed a three-run double into the right field corner off John Schreiber, as the Twins rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the fifth inning.

The Sox had taken a 2-0 lead with solo runs in third and fourth, but were blanked over the final six innings.

Brayan Bello began the night with four shutout innings before running into control issues in the fifth and being lifted before he could an out.

WHO Red Sox (62-66) vs. Minnesota Twins (65-61)
WHEN: 7:40 p.m.
WHERE: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 2-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Brayan Bello (0-3, 7.36) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (7-6, 4.56)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Pham LF
Verdugo RF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Story 2B
Cordero CF
Arroyo 1B
McGuire C

TWINS

Arraez 1B
Correa SS
Kepler RF
Miranda DH
Gordon 2B
Urshela 3B
Cave LF
Celestino CF
Leon C

WHAT'S UP: ...The Red Sox have won 2 of their last 3 games following a 4-game losing streak. The Sox are 8-8 in their last 16 games, and 14-21 since the All-Star break. The Sox are 4-2-0 in their last 6 series, including a 2-1 series victory over the Rays from Friday-Sunday. ....Tonight begins the 2nd series of the season between the Red Sox and Twins...The clubs split a 4-game series at Fenway Park from 4/15-18, which included both the Sox’ home opener (4/15) and Patriots’ Day (4/18). The Sox are 6-2 in their last 8 games at Target Field... They are 4-1-0 in their last 5 series at the venue, dating back to the start of 2016. Xander Bogaerts owns MLB’s longest active hitting streak at Target Field (16 G, .411 AVG, 30-for-73, 13 XBH)...He is 1 shy of tying the longest hitting streak ever at the venue by a visiting player...Jose Altuve had a 17-game streak spanning the 2013-18 seasons. ...35 of the Red Sox’ final 50 games of the season are against AL East opponents (8-8 so far)...They are 3-13-1 in series against AL East teams (14-6-4 vs. all others). 25 of the Red Sox’ 34 remaining games are against teams ahead of them in the AL East or Wild Card standings...In addition to this 3-game series at MIN, they play 22 games against AL East teams. The Sox entered today 7.0 games out of the 3rd and final AL Wild Card position. ....Sox starters have thrown 5.0+ innings and allowed 3 runs or fewer in 11 of the club’s last 17 games. Beginning 8/10 vs. ATL, 10 of the Red Sox’ 17 games have been started by non-rookies...In those 10 games, Sox starting pitchers have a 2.69 ERA (18 ER/60.1 IP). The Sox are 27-13 (.675) when their starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings this season...They have won 5 of the last 6 such games and 7 of the last 10) ...Matt Barnes has a 1.74 ERA (2 ER/10.1 IP) in 11 outings since being reinstated from the Injured List on 8/4...Of those 11 outings, 9 have been scoreless. In 17 relief appearances this season, Garrett Whitlock is 2-1 with 6 saves and a 1.39 ERA (5 ER/32.1 IP). John Schreiber ranks 10th in the AL this season with a 2.24 ERA (min. 50.0 IP). ...Rich Hill tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in Saturday’s 5-1 win against the Rays, setting season highs in strikeouts (11), innings (7.0), and pitches (95). Saturday marked Hill’s 15th career scoreless start with 7.0+ IP, his 1st since 6/2/19 with LAD vs. PHI (7.0 IP). Prior to Hill, the most recent pitcher to record 11+ SO in a game at age 42 or older was Randy Johnson, who did so in 2006 at age 42 and 2008 at age 44. ....The Sox lead MLB in doubles this season (287) and lead the AL in XBH (420)...4 Sox hitters rank among the AL’s top 7 in doubles (see table to the right). They also rank among the top 5 in the AL in runs (5th, 576), hits (2nd, 1,137), RBI (4th, 551), AVG (3rd, .257), SLG (5th, .410), and OPS (5th, .727). The Sox have recorded 10+ hits in 5 of their last 9 games, posting an MLB-best .321 AVG in that span (108-for-336). ...3 current Red Sox hitters rank among the AL’s top 10 in AVG since the All-Star break (min. 50 PA): Reese McGuire (2nd, .380), Christian Arroyo (3rd, .372), and Alex Verdugo (10th, .336). Arroyo (7th, .404) and McGuire (10th, .396) each rank in the AL’s top 10 in OBP since the All-Star break...Verdugo ranks 4th in the AL in hits (44) and T-2nd in doubles (13) over that span. ....Verdugo has hit 32 doubles this season, matching his career-high 32 last season. Since joining the Red Sox in 2020, Verdugo ranks 4th in the AL in doubles (80), trailing only J.D. Martinez (94), Rafael Devers (86), and José Ramírez (86). Verdugo ranks 5th in the AL with a .316 AVG since the start of June (min. 200 PA). ....The Red Sox have committed just 7 errors in their last 27 games (beginning 7/30), tied with MIA for the fewest in MLB during that span...They lead the majors with a .993 fielding % in that time (992 TC). The Sox have induced 96 double plays grounded into, 5th most in the AL (KC-103, BAL-102, DET-100, LAA-97). Trevor Story ranks 2nd among AL second basemen in defensive runs saved (8) while Arroyo (4) ranks T-7th at the position. Xander Bogaerts ranks 2nd among MLB shortstops in ultimate zone rating (5.2), the best mark of his career. Tommy Pham ranks 2nd in MLB, 1st among left fielders, with 11 outfield assists (Myles Straw-12). 4 of Pham’s assists have come with BOS, tying him with Alex Verdugo for the team lead...2 of the 4 have come in the last 4 games. 

NOTES:

* The Red Sox made the moves to DFA Hirokazu Sawamura and Austin Davis official, while purchasing the contract of RHP Zack Kelly and recalling RHP Caleb Ort.

* Franchy Cordero is getting his first start in center field in the big leagues since 2020.

* Christian Arroyo is getting his second career start at first base.