The Boston Red Sox dropped their home opener, 8-4, in the first of the four-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park on Friday.
Boston fell to 3-4 on the young season while Minnesota improved to 3-4.
You can view the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox’s nine-run offensive outburst on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers might have been more of a fluke than a turnaround.
Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan gave the Boston lineup trouble. He pitched six innings, allowing five hits and an earned run with seven strikeouts.
The Red Sox’s offense woke up in the eighth, thanks to an RBI-double by center fielder Kiké Hernández and a two-run home run by third baseman Rafael Devers. The late-life was enough to wake up the Fenway Park crowd, but Boston fell short of a dramatic comeback.
Boston’s pitching was not good enough either, as starting pitcher Nick Pivetta allowed four earned runs in just two innings of work. Hirokazu Sawamura also was not sharp, allowing two earned runs in as many innings. Matt Barnes looked like he would implode in the ninth, allowing two runs in a single inning of work.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Twins third baseman Luis Arraez recorded two hits in the game with one double and two RBIs.
— Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, which cut the Red Sox deficit down to 6-4. Somehow, Devers hit a 98-mph fastball just inches away from his kneecap out of the ballpark.
— Alex Verdugo smacked a solo home run in the second inning. He was responsible for the lone run scored for the Red Sox until the eighth inning.
WAGER WATCH
Verdugo could have made bettors a lot of money with his second-inning, solo blast on Friday. The Red Sox outfielder had +550 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to hit a home run. A $100 bet would have paid out $550.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will play the second game of the series against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET following an hour of pregame coverage, and you can watch it all on NESN.
