Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia did his best to spark his team in Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
The power he’s shown at the plate this season has been impressive, and he displayed more of it in Wednesday’s 6-4 loss with a pair of two-run homers — one in the third inning and another in the fifth — to increase his total to seven on the season.
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Pedroia has matched his home run total from last season and is on pace to hit double-digit homers for the first time since 2012, when he had 15. His career high of 21 was set in 2011.
The former American League MVP leads the Red Sox with a .290 batting average, a .361 on-base percentage and 53 hits this season.
— The Twins rank sixth in the American League with 26 stolen bases, but they couldn’t increase that total Wednesday.
In the sixth inning, Rick Porcello got Eddie Rosario to swing at a pitch in the dirt, but Blake Swihart still was able to scoop the ball and fire it down to second base. Eduardo Escobar was originally called safe on the steal attempt, but a replay overturned the call. Rosario hit a home run later in the at-bat.
— The Red Sox didn’t receive much production from the middle of their order. The No. 3 through 5 spots in the lineup went 1-for-11 and left four men on base. Pablo Sandoval was the only one of the three to get a hit, while Hanley Ramirez and David Ortiz went 0-for-3 and 0-for-4, respectively.
“We had some opportunities, particularly there in the eighth inning where we’ve got a couple of men on, and we’re mounting a little bit of a comeback, and then the timely hit is not there,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters on NESN’s “Red Sox Gameday Live.”
“We need more even production throughout this entire lineup.”
— The Red Sox batted 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position Wednesday. Boston has an AL-worst .222 average with runners in scoring position on the season.
— Here are MLB.com’s pitching stats for the Red Sox. Junichi Tazawa has given up just one earned run in his last 11 relief appearances.
— The Red Sox have 14 first-inning runs, the second-fewest in the AL.
— Boston has lost three games in a row for the fourth time this season.
— Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo didn’t play Wednesday because he’s dealing with a sore right shoulder, per The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
— The Red Sox will call up left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez from Triple-A Pawtucket to start Thursday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
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— Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario was 1-for-3 with a home run Wednesday. He’s batting .429 (6-for-14) with one homer, four RBIs and three runs in his last four games.
READ: Rick Porcello Hurt By Long Ball Vs. Twins>>
Thumbnail photo via Bob Stanton/USA TODAY Sports Images
