The Boston Red Sox pushed their winning streak to five games with a 9-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night at Target Field.
Boston improved to 38-35 with the win, while Minnesota fell to 36-37.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox haven’t quite been able to line up consistent play in all three phases of the game for an extended period of time this season.
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If Monday’s win is a sign of things to come, that might no longer be the case.
Boston received tremendous production from its offense, defense and pitching in a series-opening win over Minnesota. James Paxton had another solid outing, allowing just three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched and picking up seven strikeouts. Rafael Devers and Pablo Reyes made highlight-worthy plays to take away a pair of Twins hits and keep the bases clear for Minnesota most of the night. The offense belted six extra-base hits and took seven walks, leading to nine total runs on a night where they consistently put pressure on the Twins defense.
In all, the Red Sox put together the kind of night that would make Alex Cora, who has been frustrated by their defense and lack of consistency, very happy.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Duran was electric on the base paths in this one, legging out three doubles as he finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs from the dish. He btwo four bats before being pinch-hit for in the sixth inning, however, which will likely prompt a shipment to Target Field this week.
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— Triston Casas is starting to find his groove. He went 2-for-5 from the dish with a monstrous two-run home run in the seventh inning.
— Alex Verdugo cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the sixth inning that reclaimed the lead for Boston after Christian Vázquez’s bomb. The 27-year-old improved his hitting streak to 10 games, finishing 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
WAGER WATCH
The Red Sox were made 1.5-run underdogs (-165) by DraftKings Sportsbook on the night, despite entering the game with a better record than the Twins and riding a four-game winning streak. Their easy win netted Boston backers a $160.61 payout on $100 bets.
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ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox and Twins will continue their four-game set Tuesday. First pitch from Target Field is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
Featured image via Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports Images
