After a lousy offensive performance Wednesday night, the Boston Red Sox responded with loud bats in a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Mookie Betts had a great night at the plate for Boston. The star outfielder went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Deven Marrero also knocked in two runs as part of his 1-for-3 effort. And after missing the last three games, Hanley Ramirez had an eventful return as he launched a 427-foot blast to dead center.
As strong as the Red Sox were on offense, David Price turned in an equally impressive performance on the mound. The left-hander tossed seven innings in which he only allowed three runs on six hits with no walks to go along with seven strikeouts.
With the win, the Red Sox improve to 44-35, while the Twins fall to 40-37.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Teamwork.
The Red Sox received contributions from just about everyone. Boston’s offense racked up 10 hits, its pitchers kept Minnesota at bay and strong defense prevented several Twins from reaching base.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Craig Kimbrel recorded a scoreless ninth inning to ensure the series-winning victory.
ON THE BUMP
— Price’s outing didn’t start off on a high note. Brian Dozier led off the game with a double to left center, and was brought home two batters later on a groundout off the bat of Joe Mauer to give the Twins an early 1-0 edge.
Price would settle down, sitting down the side in order in both the second and third innings, but the fourth frame would bring some trouble. Robbie Grossman led off the fourth with a ground-rule double, and Mauer followed with a single down the first-base line. Price sat down the next two batters, but Jorge Polanco would clear the bases with a two-RBI double high off the Green Monster to swell Minnesota’s lead to 3-0.
But after the messy fourth inning, Price got into a groove, only scattering two hits from the fifth through the seventh frame.
— Joe Kelly came on in the eighth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning.
— Kimbrel locked down the win in the ninth inning for his 22nd save of the season.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Betts put the Red Sox on the board with a solo shot off the light tower. It was the Red Sox right fielder’s 13th home run of the campaign.
— Boston’s fifth-inning rally proved to be the difference against the Twins. Ramirez led off the frame with a walk, and came all the way around to score on a Jackie Bradley Jr. (3-for-4) double off the Green Monster.
After Christian Vazquez reached via an error, Tzu-Wei Lin advanced the runners on a groundout, which allowed Marrero to plate Bradley on a groundout of his own. The Sox would score their third run of the inning on the next batter when Betts singled to bring home Vazquez.
— Ramirez provided the Red Sox some insurance in the sixth inning when he lasered a homer to straightaway center. It was his 11th home run of the season.
— Lin ripped a triple — the first of his Major League Baseball career — to kick off the seventh inning and later scored when Marrero shot an RBI double to left field.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Based on the season he’s had, it would be hard not to.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox travel to Toronto for a three-game series with the Blue Jays starting Friday night. Doug Fister is scheduled to get the ball for Boston, and will be opposed by Toronto’s Marco Estrada. First pitch from Rogers Centre is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
