FINAL: Minnesota Twins 5, Red Sox 2 - Houck's Great Start Squandered by Offense

The Red Sox (18-15) drop the first of a three game series against the Minnesota Twins (18-13) with a final score of 5-2. The bats would just not come alive for Boston in this one, outside of Rafael Devers. The Twins have now won 11 in a row.

The Red Sox batters could muster only four hits tonight, with two coming from Devers, who had two doubles, one being a two run double in the top of the eighth. The other two hits were off the bats of Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela. Boston struck out 13 times tonight Paddack having six of them.

Tanner Houck continues his great season, as he went six innings, giving up six hits and striking out five. He did give up four runs, but two of those were inherited by Naoyuki Uwasawa, who pitched two innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.

My Player of the Game: Rafael Devers: Devers was the lone bright spot in the Red Sox lineup tonight, and he'll look to continue it tomorrow afternoon with the Sox wanting the snap the Twin's streak.

Tomorrow's game is slated for a 2:10 p.m. first pitch. Probable starter for the Twins is Pablo Lopez (2-2, 4.83 ERA), with the Red Sox starter being undecided.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ___________________________

WHO: Red Sox (18-14) at Minnesota Twins (17-13)
WHEN: 8:10 p.m.
WHERE: Target Field, Minneapolis
SERIES TO DATE: 0-0, 4-3 Red Sox in 2023
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.60 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Paddack (2-1, 5.88 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Jarren Duran CF
Rafael Devers 3B
Tyler O'Neill LF
Wilyer Abreu RF
Garrett Cooper 1B
Dominic Smith DH
Vaughn Grissom 2B
Reese McGuire C
Ceddanne Rafaela SS

SP Tanner Houck

OPPONENT

Alex Kirilloff LF
Eduard Julien 2B
Max Kepler RF
Carlos Correa SS
Trevor Larnach DH
Carlos Santana 1B
Willi Castro CF
Jose Miranda 3B

SP Chris Paddack

WHAT'S UP

The Red Sox lost to SF yesterday, 3-1. Josh Winckowski made his longest start since 2022, going 4.1 innings with just 1 run allowed (2 H, 2 BB). RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa made his MLB debut, pitching perfect 8th and 9th innings (2.0 IP, SO). 

Tanner Houck has thrown at least 5.2 innings in each of his 6 starts. In his last 7 starts, beginning 10/1/23, Houck is 4-2 with a 1.39 ERA, 47 SO, and a .193 opponent AVG.

Nick Pivetta made his 1st rehab start yesterday with Triple-A Worcester (3.0 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 SO). In 2 starts before landing on the 15-Day IL with a right elbow flexor strain, Pivetta allowed only 1 run in 11.0 IP (0.82 ERA) with 13 SO and 1 BB.

Over their last 5 games, Red Sox leadoff batters have reached base to begin 23 of 42 offensive innings, going 15-for-34 (.441 AVG) with 8 BB (.548 OBP).

Boston leads the Majors with a 2.58 ERA (83 ER/289.1 IP), the club’s lowest mark through 32 games since 1920 (2.53). In their last 14 games (beginning 4/17), the Sox have posted a 2.18 ERA (30 ER/124.0 IP)...They allowed fewer than 10 hits in 13 of those 14 games. The Red Sox have shut out their opponent 6 times, most in MLB and 1 more than they recorded in 2023.

The Sox have made 4 errors and allowed just 2 unearned runs in their last 11 games, compared to 19 errors and 23 unearned runs in their previous 15 games. The Sox lead MLB in unearned runs (28) and errors (25). BOS is 14-3 when committing 0 errors.

The Red Sox rank among the AL’s top 5 in runs scored (4th, 150), HR (5th, 36), AVG (4th, .248), OBP (3rd, .325), SLG (3rd, .411), OPS (3rd, .736), walks (3rd, 110), triples (T-1st, 8), and stolen bases (5th, 28). In their last 8 games (beginning 4/24), the Sox have hit .313 with an .857 OPS. The Sox have hit 0 HR in their last 4 games, their longest streak of the season.

The Red Sox have an AL-best 9 players with at least 10 RBI, tied with CIN for most in MLB: Rafaela-17, Duran-15, Wong-14, O’Neill-13, Abreu-12, Valdez-11, Yoshida-11, Casas-10, McGuire-10. 5 Sox players own an .800+ OPS with at least 50 PA, tied for most in the AL and 2nd most in MLB (LAD-7). 3 Red Sox batters are ranked in the top 5 for SLG among AL players with at least 40 PA.

INF Vaughn Grissom will make his Red Sox debut tonight at second base. He opened the season on the IL (left hamstring strain)...Played in 9 rehab games with Triple-A Worcester (.333 AVG, 10-for-30, 5 BB, 2 SB).