The Boston Red Sox couldn't put the finishing touches on their four-game series and fell 8-3 against the Minnesota Twins on Marathon Monday at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox, who split the four-game set with Minnesota, now are 5-5 on the season. The Twins are an identical 5-5.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox, rocking the white "Boston" jerseys, put themselves in a great position to win their second consecutive series after back-to-back dominant starts this weekend from Tanner Houck and Michael Wacha, along with lockdown bullpen performances to complement them. Unfortunately for the hosts, that wasn't the case on Patriots' Day, as Rich Hill (four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings) allowed a pair of two-run home runs early, and Kutter Crawford (four runs on two hits and five walks in 1 2/3 innings) couldn't keep Boston in late.
Minnesota benefited from nine hits and seven walks by the Boston pitching staff. The Twins put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth inning, taking advantage of four walks (one intentional) and a pair of wild pitches.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Minnesota starting pitcher Dylan Bundy limited the Red Sox to just one run on five hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
-- Xander Bogaerts (3-for-5) continued to come alive with a straight multi-hit game. Bogaerts batted over .500 (7-for-13) with three runs, three RBIs and one home run in the final three games of the series.
-- Jackie Bradley Jr., who twice worked back from 0-2 counts, reached base twice (ninth-inning single, seventh-inning walk) Monday. The Red Sox outfielder now has been on-base multiple times in four of his last five contests.
WAGER WATCH
Christian Vázquez (2-for-4, two RBIs) may have made bettors some money with his first home run of the season in the seventh inning. The Red Sox catcher entered Monday +850 to hit a home run, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and a $10 prop bet would have paid out $95.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will continue their homestand by welcoming their American League East rival Toronto Blue Jays to Boston on Tuesday. The opening game of the three-game series will feature first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch it on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.
