G106: Red Sox 10, Twins 4

Twins   - 013 000 000 -  4  7  0
Red Sox - 100 311 04x - 10 14  1

The Red Sox scored the last nine runs of the evening, wiping out the Twins' 4-1 lead and securing their 73rd victory of the season. It was a team effort at the plate. Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit and five guys had two. Eight players crossed the plate and seven players knocked in at least one run.

Four of the five hits allowed by Rick Porcello (5.2-5-4-1-5, 100) came in the third inning. The other hit was a solo homer by Logan Morrison in the second. That shot tied the game after Boston had scored a run in the first on three singles, with Mitch Moreland knocking in Andrew Benintendi.

Minnesota took the lead with two outs in the third. With runners on first and second, Jorge Polanco tripled to the garage door in center, bringing in both runners. Brian Dozier followed with a single, putting the Twins up 4-1.

The Red Sox had a similar inning in the fourth, also scoring three runs with two outs, with the first two runs scoring on a triple. Rafael Devers hit a ground-rule double to right-center with one out and Eduardo Nunez walked. After Sandy Leon flied out, Jackie Bradley smacked the first pitch to deep center. Jake Cave leapt at the wall, but the ball hit above his glove and caromed off to his left, towards the triangle. Mookie Betts then ripped a double down the left field line, and the game was tied 4-4.

J.D. Martinez hit his 32nd home run to lead off the fifth, giving the Red Sox the lead for good. The Twins did not really pose a threat after the third inning. Porcello walked Dozier to begin the sixth and a passed ball put him on second. Porcello was pulled after getting two outs. Dozier stole third off Heath Hembree, but Robbie Grossman grounded out, with Xander Bogaerts, on the right side of the infield in a shift, making a nice backhand grab.

Leon doubled in the sixth and Bradley walked (nine pitches). Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Leon scored on Benintendi's single. Reliever Matt Magill struck out Martinez and Moreland to prevent further damage.

Nunez tripled with two outs in the seventh, but was stranded. And then damage came knocking again on Magill in the eighth. Bradley walked and raced home on Betts's double to right. Taylor Rogers took over and struck out Benintendi for the first out. The Twins intentionally walked Martinez. Taylor struck out Moreland (and Betts stole third during the at-bat). The Twins intentionally walked Bogaerts. With the bases loaded, Taylor fell behind Devers 3-0 before throwing two called strikes. The infielders were shifted around towards the right side, so Betts was taking an extremely large lead off third. At one point, he was actually halfway to the plate, faking a mad dash for home before Rogers, seeing him over his shoulder, stepped off.

Was Betts a significant distraction for Rogers? I have no idea, but it couldn't have helped the lefty's concentration. Devers fouled off two pitches before watching ball four. Betts trotted home. Nunez then lined Rogers's next pitch into the gap in left-center. Two runs scored. Devers chugged his way from first to third and came up lame. He was immediately replaced by Brock Holt. Leon, the ninth batter of the inning, struck out looking.

There was no official word on Devers right after the game, although Rob Bradford wrote that Devers "is expected" to go on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

A passed ball on a strikeout and a single put Minnesota runners on first and second against Joe Kelly in the ninth. Cave grounded up the middle and Bogaerts grabbed the ball, deftly stepped on second base, and threw to first for the game-ending double play.

AL East: The Yankees split their doubleheader, losing the first game 10-5 before winning the nightcap 5-4. ... Boston is 5.5 GA.

Jake Odorizzi / Rick Porcello

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Martinez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Nunez, 2B
Leon, C
Bradley, CF

The Royals beat the Yankees 10-5 this afternoon. KC led Luis Severino and the MFY 6-0 in the middle of the fifth. New York closed the gap to 6-5 after seven innings (stranding the tying run at third), but Brian Goodwin belted a three-run dong in the top of the eighth. ... OB Note: The Yankees "won" in hits 13-11.

Post: "Lucas Duda's towering home run to right field had barely landed in the seats when the curtain of boos rolled toward the pitcher's mound ..."

MLB.com: "It was the first time in [Severino's] career that he has allowed at least six runs in back-to-back starts, and his fourth consecutive start of the season lasting fewer than six frames. ... In four starts since July 7, [he] has allowed 19 earned runs on 33 hits, including seven home runs in 19.1 innings [8.84 ERA]."

AL East: KCR/MFY, day-night doubleheader, 1 PM & 7 PM. The Yankees are 5.0 GB.