The Boston Red Sox’s bats came alive Thursday afternoon in Minnesota as they ran away with a 9-2 win over the Twins to close a 10-game road trip.
Boston’s offense was led by two homers, one apiece from Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi, as well as four doubles. The Sox had 16 hits overall. Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello pitched a gem, giving up no runs and just a single hit through seven innings for his ninth win of the season.
The Red Sox improve to 50-26 with the win, while the Twins fall to 33-38.
Here’s how the game unfolded:
GAME IN A WORD
Mash.
The Red Sox scored nine runs on 16 hits. They had scored 12 runs in their previous six games combined.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello retired the first two batters of the game before hitting Eduardo Escobar with a pitch up high and surrendering a single to Logan Morrison. Porcello was able to escape the first inning without giving up any runs, though. He pitched a carefree second inning, allowing a walk but also picking up his first strikeout. Porcello pitched his first 1-2-3 inning in the third and tallied another strikeout. He threw another 1-2-3 frame in the fourth, including two strikeouts to bring his total to four. Porcello retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings, too, and brought his K total to five in the process. He only allowed one hit through six innings.
Porcello pitched a scoreless seventh, getting three fly outs. That was the end of his outing. He went seven shutout innings and surrendered only one hit with five strikeouts and one walk.
— Hector Velasquez pitched a scoreless eighth inning. He allowed one hit in the frame. Velasquez stayed in to pitch the ninth and ran into some trouble. He gave up two earned runs on two hits before ending the game.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox had a couple baserunners in the first inning when Betts led off with a single and J.D. Martinez walked, but they were stranded.
— The Sox got on the board in the fourth inning.
Mitch Moreland walked to lead off the inning, and he advanced to second on a single by Brock Holt. Sandy Leon drove in Moreland with a single down the line in right field, putting Boston ahead 1-0. Holt advanced to third on Leon’s single, but the inning ended when Jackie Bradley Jr. popped out.
— Betts doubled Boston’s lead with his 19th home run of the season, a solo shot to the opposite field in the fifth inning.
Later in the inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out after singles by Andrew Benintendi, Moreland and Xander Bogaerts. The Sox were unable to capitalize on the situation and left the bases loaded.
— Boston broke the game open in the seventh inning, where they scored three more runs to take a 5-0 advantage. Martinez got it going with a single, and then Moreland walked. Bogaerts doubled to deep left to drive in both Martinez and Moreland. Bogaerts advanced to third on the throw home, and later scored on a Rafael Devers groundout.
— Leon singled to lead off the eighth inning and came around to score on a home run to right center by Benintendi, giving Boston a 7-0 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Martinez and Moreland plated another run to increase the Sox’s lead to 8-0.
— Bradley notched an RBI single in the ninth inning to up the Red Sox’s lead to 9-0. Holt, who hit a double earlier in the frame, came around to score.
TWEET OF THE GAME
A strong performance by Porcello.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox return to Fenway Park for a 7:10 p.m. ET start against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. Steven Wright will get the start for Boston and will be opposed by Wade LeBlanc.
