Final, Red Sox 1-0: Koji Uehara’s dominance continues.
Uehara worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to lock down a 1-0 win for the Red Sox. Boston’s offense struggled Monday against the Twins, but Rubby De La Rosa’s excellent performance guided the Sox to victory.
De La Rosa tossed seven shutout innings in which he allowed just one hit. The right-hander struck out three, walked three and threw 106 pitches (62 strikes).
The game’s lone run came in the fifth inning. Daniel Nava and Stephen Drew delivered back-to-back hits, and A.J. Pierzynski lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Red Sox now will look to begin a winning streak Tuesday. Jon Lester will take the ball in the middle game of the series.
End 8th, Red Sox 1-0: It’s Koji time.
The Red Sox failed to add to their lead in the eighth inning, and Koji Uehara will now enter with Boston clinging to a 1-0 advantage.
This marks the third consecutive game in which Uehara has pitched, although it’s his first save opportunity in that span.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 1-0: The Red Sox escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. Burke Badenhop recorded a huge strikeout.
Andrew Miller began the inning after seven impressive frames from Rubby De La Rosa. The left-hander struck out Oswaldo Arcia swinging.
Badenhop entered and ran into some trouble. He allowed a one-out single to Kurt Suzuki and a two-out double to Sam Fuld that put two men in scoring position. Badenhop then plunked Danny Santana.
The right-hander, to his credit, buckled down, though. Badenhop struck out Brian Dozier, who has 15 homers and 35 RBIs this season, to preserve Boston’s one-run lead.
End 7th, Red Sox 1-0: Caleb Thielbar took over for Minnesota after six solid innings from Kevin Correia.
Thielbar, a lefty, was greeted by Jonny Gomes, who pinch-hit for Daniel Nava. Gomes saw seven pitches en route to a leadoff walk.
A.J. Pierzynski followed Stephen Drew’s strikeout with a blooper into center field. Three Twins converged on it, but the ball dropped in for a hit. Gomes took second base.
The Red Sox (again) couldn’t cash in, though. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Brock Holt struck out to end the threat.
Gomes will remain in the game in left field. Brock Holt will shift over to right field. The Red Sox prefer the defensive alignment — as opposed to Holt in left and Gomes in right — because of Holt’s speed and Gomes’ strong handling of the left field wall.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 1-0: Rubby De La Rosa has dazzled at Fenway.
De La Rosa enjoyed another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, and he’ll likely exit after seven shutout frames in which he allowed just one hit. De La Rosa’s pitch count is at 106 following the seventh inning.
Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham and Kendrys Morales couldn’t get anything going in the seventh.
De La Rosa tossed seven shutout innings in his only other start at Fenway Park. Clearly, he’s a fan of the confines.
End 6th, Red Sox 1-0: The Red Sox got something going in the sixth inning before Kevin Correia closed off the threat.
Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia singled with one out in the sixth. Bogaerts’ hit was of the infield variety.
David Ortiz brought the Fenway crowd to its feet with a drive to the wall in center field. The fans were quickly disappointed, however, as Sam Fuld drifted back onto the warning to make the catch with his back basically touching the wall.
Mike Napoli ended the inning with a forceout.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 1-0: Rubby De La Rosa tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.
De La Rosa capped the scoreless frame by striking out Brian Dozier. De La Rosa, who has yielded just one hit, has struck out three.
De La Rosa has thrown 89 pitches (51 strikes) through six innings. You’ll see him out to begin the seventh inning. He tossed seven shutout innings in his only other Fenway start.
End 5th, Red Sox 1-0:Â The Red Sox broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Daniel Nava, whom John Farrell said Monday has worked his way back into a regular role, singled into left field to lead things off.
Stephen Drew, who doubled in his first at-bat, shot a ground ball into the left field corner. Nava scampered to third base, but Drew was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. It looked like Drew briefly slowed up between first and second, and that cost him.
A.J. Pierzynski gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to left field. Josh Willingham didn’t even attempt a throw home.
Mid 5th, 0-0: Rubby De La Rosa has been much sharper since walking two hitters in the first inning.
De La Rosa has surrendered one hit to this point. He retired the side in order in the fifth inning.
Oswaldo Arcia, Kurt Suzuki and Eduardo Escobar couldn’t get anything going against De La Rosa.
End 4th, 0-0: Right after Rubby De La Rosa successfully navigated through the middle of the Twins’ order, Kevin Correia worked his way through the middle of the Red Sox’s lineup.
Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Mike Napoli went down in the fourth inning. Pedroia flied out to right field, and Ortiz and Napoli both grounded to Brian Dozier at second base.
Neither offense has been able to break through to this point.
Mid 4th, 0-0: Rubby De La Rosa didn’t run into any trouble in the fourth inning.
De La Rosa successfully worked through the middle of the Twins’ order. Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham and Kendrys Morales went down consecutively.
Mauer lined out to left field, Willingham struck out looking and Morales grounded to first base.
Morales, of course, was in the same boat as Stephen Drew earlier this year when it came to landing a contract.
End 3rd, 0-0: Stephen Drew collected two hits in his return Sunday. The shortstop doubled in his first at-bat of this game.
Drew planted one off the left field wall to begin the bottom of the third.
A.J. Pierzynski and Jackie Bradley Jr. were retired on a popout and a strikeout, respectively, but Brock Holt worked a six-pitch walk to extend the inning. That’s two solid at-bats for Holt in this game, as he saw 11 pitches in the first inning.
Xander Bogaerts couldn’t capitalize with two on. He grounded to third base, where Eduardo Escobar made the play and fired to first to end the threat.
Mid 3rd, 0-0: The Twins ran into a big out in the third inning.
Sam Fuld walked and stole second base with one out. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has twice struggled to get a handle on the baseball on a stole-base attempt by the Twins.
Danny Santana then singled into center field. Jackie Bradley Jr., who showed off his incredible arm last week against the Indians, came up firing. Santana immediately rounded first and headed for second base, thinking the throw would go home. Mike Napoli cut off the throw.
That’s when madness ensued. Napoli ran toward Santana. Fuld was held at third base but then started running home after Napoli headed toward Santana. Napoli thus fired to third base, and Fuld eventually was tagged out between third and home. Santana ended up at third.
Brian Dozier grounded out to end the inning.
End 2nd, 0-0: The Red Sox made some solid contact in the second inning, though it went for naught.
David Ortiz grounded to second base to begin the inning. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava then followed with well-struck balls to the outfield.
Center fielder Sam Fuld recorded putouts on both Napoli and Nava. Napoli sent Fuld back to the warning track near the triangle, while Nava drilled a ball into left-center field.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Rubby De La Rosa was much more efficient in the second inning.
De La Rosa, who walked two in the first inning, retired the side in order in the second. He induced three ground ball outs.
Kendrys Morales and Kurt Suzuki both tested Xander Bogaerts at third base. Oswaldo Arcia grounded to Mike Napoli at first base.
End 1st, 0-0: Brock Holt last week discussed the importance of putting up a good first at-bat out of the leadoff spot. You could say he did his job in the first inning, even though he was sent back to the dugout.
Holt saw 11 pitches in his game-opening at-bat. He finally drilled a fly ball to deep right-center field that Oswaldo Arcia tracked down before running into the wall.
Xander Bogaerts lined out to second baseman Brian Dozier and Dustin Pedroia struck out looking.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Rubby De La Rosa was a bit erratic in the first inning, walking two despite keeping the Twins scoreless.
De La Rosa retired Danny Santana to begin his evening. Santana hit a soft ground ball to second base, where Dustin Pedroia had no problem handling the game’s first out.
De La Rosa then walked Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer. The right-hander used a heavy dose of fastballs against both hitters — a stark contrast from his last outing, when he used a lot of offspeed pitches while surrendering three first-inning runs.
De La Rosa escaped the inning unscathed by getting Josh Willingham to ground to third base. Xander Bogaerts began a 5-4-3, inning-ending double play.
7:10 p.m.: Rubby De La Rosa begins the night with a showdown against Danny Santana. Let’s go.
6:45 p.m.: Xander Bogaerts, who was held out of Sunday’s starting lineup because of flu-like symptoms, will return Monday. He’ll play third base and bat second, meaning Dustin Pedroia will slide back down to the No. 3 spot after batting in the No. 2 hole Sunday.
Brock Holt, who played third base Sunday, will play left field. Daniel Nava will get the call in right field against right-hander Kevin Correia.
Monday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (31-38)
Brock Holt, LF
Xander Bogaerts, 3B
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Stephen Drew, SS
A.J. Pieryznski, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Rubby De La Rosa, RHP (1-2, 3.93 ERA)
Minnesota Twins (32-35)
Danny Santana, SS
Brian Dozier, 2B
Joe Mauer, 1B
Josh Willingham, LF
Kendrys Morales, DH
Oswaldo Arcia, RF
Kurt Suzuki, C
Eduardo Escobar, 3B
Sam Fuld, CF
Kevin Correia, RHP (3-7, 5.60 ERA)
6:15 p.m. ET: The Boston Red Sox appeared to be turning a corner Friday after taking the first two games of their four-game weekend series against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. The Sox dropped the final two contests, though, and they’ll now welcome the Minnesota Twins to town while in the midst of a mini skid.
Rubby De La Rosa will be tasked with getting Boston back on track Monday. De La Rosa is making his fourth start of the season for the Red Sox. He tossed seven shutout innings in his first start May 31 against the Tampa Bay Rays but has since suffered back-to-back losses. The 25-year-old right-hander gave up four runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings in his last start Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Red Sox’s bullpen has been fantastic this season, but the unit has faltered in each of the last two games. Junichi Tazawa walked in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning Saturday after Craig Breslow struggled and then surrendered a solo homer to Nick Swisher in the 11th inning of Sunday’s series finale. It’ll be important for De La Rosa to respond with a quality outing Monday.
Monday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Tune in on NESN, and keep it right here with NESN.com’s live blog.
