G41: Twins 7, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 300 000 000 - 3  12  1
Twins   - 202 030 00x - 7  11  0

Buchholz struggled again (4.1-8-7-5-4, 90) and the Red Sox's early 3-0 lead -- helped by Manny Ramirez's #498 career home run -- vanished.

Unlike Sunday night, there was no comeback. Although Minnesota retired the Red Sox in order only once, Boston had no runner advance past second base from the second to the ninth innings. Indeed, after the first, only three Red Sox made it past first.

J.D. Drew went 3-for-4 and Alex Cora and Manny each had two hits. Craig Hansen pitched a perfect seventh inning -- two groundouts and a strikeout on 13 pitches.

Tampa beat New York 7-1 -- and are now .5 GB Boston in the East.

***

Clay Buchholz (4.50, 97 ERA+) / Livan Hernandez (3.83, 104 ERA+)

Buchholz has a drastic home/road split this year:

     GS   ERA  IP     H   R  HR  BB  SO  BABIP
Home  3  1.04  17.1  14   2   0   9  15   .298
Road  4  7.40  20.2  27  18   3   6  24   .381

2nd-place Tampa hosts the .500 Yankees, also at 7 PM (Pettitte/Garza).