BOSTON — Steven Wright and the Red Sox’s offense put a hurting on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.
Boston did what Boston has done often this season and scored early, tagging Twins starter Tyler Duffey for three runs in the first inning. Add in the fact that Wright was perfect through the first four innings and his knuckleball was dancing all over the place, and you have the recipe for a 13-2 Red Sox win.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Drubbing.
When Mookie Betts hit the first pitch of the game out of the park, it was pretty clear how this game was going to go.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
The Red Sox pulled ahead 6-0 in the third inning.
The Twins haven’t been very good this season, and Wright was doing a great job fooling them with his knuckleball and keeping them off the bases. Overcoming Boston’s early strike definitely was a daunting task for Minnesota.
ON THE BUMP
— Wright was perfect through four innings until he gave up a single to Twins right fielder Max Kepler in the fifth. He wound up giving up two runs (only one earned) that inning, after a ground-rule double, an RBI groundout and an error, but he still showed good control over his knuckleball and fooled plenty of Twins batters with it.
Wright finished the night with two runs (one earned) on four hits with nine strikeouts and only one walk over eight innings.
— Clay Buchholz made a rare appearance in the ninth, but he pitched a clean inning, giving up a double to Eduardo Escobar but no runs.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox started Thursday night on a great note when Mookie Betts sent the first pitch of the game to the top of the Green Monster. The right fielder ended up going 3-for-5 with a double, two runs, two RBIs and the one home run.
— Dustin Pedroia followed Betts by having a spectacular performance of his own, batting 1.000 after going 5-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI. Bryce Brentz pinch-ran for Pedey in the eighth and scored a run.
— Honestly, the top of Boston’s order made the Twins look like a Little League team. Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs and two RBIs. Michael Martinez replaced him in the eighth inning and popped out.
— David Ortiz continued to do David Ortiz things and went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, one run, and a monster two-run homer in the eighth inning.
— Hanley Ramirez couldn’t repeat Wednesday’s three-homer night, going 0-for-3 with a walk. Aaron Hill pinch-hit for Ramirez in the eighth and popped out.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. also had plenty of power in his bat Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run, three RBIs and a run.
— Travis Shaw went 1-for-4, while Ryan Hanigan (0-for-4) and Brock Holt (0-for-3) both went hitless. Holt added a walk and a run in the eighth inning.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
This is why the Twins had a lot of trouble putting up offense Thursday.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox continue their four-game series against the Twins with another 7:10 p.m. contest at Fenway Park. Southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez will look to build on his last outing, during which he threw seven innings of one-run ball against the New York Yankees, when he goes head-to-head with Minnesota right-hander Kyle Gibson.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
