BOSTON — Saturday’s Red Sox game against the Minnesota Twins certainly didn’t unfold the way anyone expected it to.
After high winds made for a bad start for both teams, the Red Sox seemed to have plenty of cushion with an 8-5 lead going into the seventh inning. However, some bad Boston relief performances put the Twins ahead 10-8, and they never let go of the lead en route to an 11-9 win at Fenway Park.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Long.
Besides the actual time of game, this contest really felt like two games in one. The score was 6-4 Red Sox in just the second inning thanks in part to some intense winds swirling at Fenway. But when they settled down, an entirely new game seemed to unfold, with the Red Sox building on their lead until giving it up in the seventh.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
The Red Sox couldn’t score any runs in the ninth.
For the second night in a row, the Red Sox had a small deficit in the final frame but couldn’t do anything with it.
ON THE BUMP
— David Price was lucky his offense had his back, because he was not on his A-game Saturday. The left-hander did get better as the game went on, but he started off sloppy through the first two innings. The gusty winds at Fenway played a huge part in the first two runs Price gave up — right fielder Michael Martinez lost track of a wild fly ball in the first that wound up being a triple, for example — but Price also lacked some control.
Price allowed five runs on 11 hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
— Clay Buchholz relieved Price in the sixth and struck out shortstop Eduardo Nunez to end the frame, but things went rogue in the seventh inning. Buchholz gave up a two-out triple followed by a double after already allowing a single and was pulled for left-hander Tommy Layne.
Buchholz ended with three earned runs allowed on three hits with two strikeouts over one inning.
— Layne couldn’t get any outs in relief, giving up a double, a single and a walk before Farrell called for Heath Hembree. Layne surrendered two runs on two hits.
— Hembree let the Twins pull ahead 10-8 by allowing a double to Nunez, but he struck out right fielder Robbie Grossman to end the frame. The right-hander made matters worse in the eighth, giving up a home run to Miguel Sano and a double to second baseman Brian Dozier before getting yanked.
Hembree finished with one earned run on three hits with a strikeout over 1/3 of an inning.
— Robbie Ross Jr. took the ball from Hembree and recorded three outs in the eighth despite hitting left fielder Eddie Rosario with a pitch.
— Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless ninth inning, giving up one hit while recording two strikeouts and a wild pitch.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Hanley Ramirez made the most noise Saturday, putting the Red Sox ahead in the second inning with a three-run homer. The first baseman went 1-for-3 with a run, three RBIs and two walks (one intentional).
— Xander Bogaerts had a spectacular night, going 4-for-6 with a run and a double.
— David Ortiz also was hot, going 3-for-3 with two runs, a double, two RBIs and a walk.
— Brock Holt did his job out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-6 with two runs. Dustin Pedroia also went 2-for-6, adding a run and an RBI.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. went 3-for-4 with a two-RBI double and a hit by pitch.
— Aaron Hill (0-for-4), Sandy Leon (0-for-4) and Michael Martinez (0-for-3) all went hitless with one walk each. Martinez added a run in the second.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox finish out their series against the Twins in a 1:35 p.m. ET game Sunday. Rick Porcello will look to extend his undefeated streak at Fenway this season — he’s 9-0 in his home ballpark — against Minnesota left-hander Tommy Milone.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
