By Zachary McMahon –
The Boston Red Sox played the second game of their series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon. The Twins took the opener against the Sox on Friday night 5-2.
It was a bullpen game for the Sox as they went with Brennan Bernardino as the starter, but he only went the first inning before being replaced by Greg Weissert.
The Sox started David Hamliton at second base in this game after starting Vaughn Grissom for the first time this season on Friday night after being activated from injury. Dominic Smith was the designated hitter for the second straight game, while Garrett Cooper started over at first base.
The Red Sox struck first with an RBI single by Wilyer Abreu that scored Tyler O’Neil after he doubled earlier in the inning. But this would be their only run of the game because Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez stopped the Son in their tracks with eight strikeouts in six innings.
Carlos Correa would tie the game up at the bottom of the first with an RBI groundout that scored Jose Miranda home.
In the fourth inning, Sox rookie Cam Booser came in to pitch for Weissert, but after one out was hammered with a solo homer to right center by Max Kepler as the Twins took the lead.
The Twins would then extend their lead when Correa got his 2nd RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to Jarren Duran that scored Willi Castro to get to a 3-1 lead off Justin Slaten.
Chase Anderson would pitch the final two innings for the Sox as he would give up one hit, a walk, and a strikeout.
Both Smith and Abreu would have two hits apiece for the Sox, but that would not be enough offense for the Sox as they would end the game with a 3-1 loss.
The Red Sox have lost three straight after their four-game winning streak getting snapped in the series finale at home against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night, and they have not hit a home run in six straight games, which is the longest since April 2022 when they also went six in a row.
The Sox will be playing the series finale in Minneapolis with Cooper Criswell expected to be on the bump to start for the Sox for the 2:10 p.m. first pitch on NESN/NESN360.