On a damp Tuesday night in Minnesota, the Boston Red Sox’s offense again found itself stuck in the mud.
After waiting out an 81-minute rain delay, the Red Sox mustered just a single run as they dropped the second game of their series with the Twins 2-1 at Target Field.
GAME IN A WORD
Familiar.
The Red Sox spoiled another strong outing by a starting pitcher, failing to earn a victory in a game in which Clay Buchholz allowed just two runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings.
The offensive pop Boston showed in its weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels is nowhere to be found thus far in Minneapolis.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Boston loaded the bases in the eighth against Minnesota closer Glen Perkins but failed to plate the tying run. Hanley Ramirez flied out to end the inning, and Perkins retired the side in order in the ninth to shut the door.
ON THE BUMP
— The early innings again proved problematic for Red Sox pitching, as the Twins touched Buchholz for three doubles and two runs in the opening frame. Had it not been for a 4-6-3 double play that helped the right-hander get out of the inning, this one could have gotten out of hand in a hurry.
Buchholz has allowed 13 first-inning runs over his 10 starts this season.
After going down in order in the second and third, the Twins loaded the bases against Buchholz in the third on two singles (one of the infield variety) and a rare error by second baseman Dustin Pedroia. It was the second error in eight games for the four-time Gold Glover, who committed just two all last season.
Buchholz escaped unscathed, however, when Xander Bogaerts initiated a 6-3 double play to retire the side. He then stranded runners on the corners in the fifth to keep Minnesota’s lead at 2-1.
A highlight-reel catch by Rusney Castillo in right field helped Buchholz complete a 1-2-3 sixth, and the Sox hurler struck out two in the seventh to wrap up another perfect frame.
Buchholz, who was replaced by right-hander Alexi Ogando with one out in the eighth, now has allowed two or fewer runs in three consecutive starts and six of his 10 starts this season.
— Ogando retired the only two men he faced in the eighth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Batting in the No. 5 spot for the first time since 2012, David Ortiz stroked a walked-ball double in his first at-bat. Give the assist on that play to Twins left fielder Eduardo Escobar, whose lack of outfield experience (he typically lines up at shortstop) was evident.
Newly crowned American League Player of the Week Mike Napoli followed by blooping a single into center to score Ortiz and cut Minnesota’s lead to 2-1. It was the 1,067th run Ortiz has scored in his Red Sox career, tying him with Wade Boggs for sixth on the team’s all-time list.
Ortiz went hitless in his final three plate appearances, however, and Napoli finished 1-for-3 with a walk.
— The Red Sox had little success in the middle innings against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey, failing to advance a runner past first base between the third and seventh innings.
— Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon went 2-for-3 with two singles out of the No. 9 spot. He entered Tuesday with just six hits on the season, three of which came in an April 13 win over his former team, the Washington Nationals.
— Pablo Sandoval, who replaced Ortiz in the No. 3 slot for the night, went 1-for-4 with a single. The third baseman has gone 1-for-8 in two games since returning to the starting lineup.
TWEET OF THE GAME
The Red Sox really have not given Buchholz much help this season.
[tweet https://twitter.com/TimBritton/status/603401463344267264 align=’center’]
UP NEXT
It’ll be a quick turnaround for these teams, as they wrap up their three-game series with a Wednesday matinee. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports Images
