BOSTON (AP) — Trevor Larnach matched his career-high with four hits, Taj Bradley allowed one run over five innings in his return from a chest muscle injury and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday for their ninth win in 13 games.
Benches and bullpens cleared briefly in the fourth inning after Boston’s Willson Contreras collided with catcher Victor Caratini when he was tagged out trying to score after running through a late stop sign from third base coach Chad Epperson. No punches were thrown.
Larnach had three singles and a double.
Boston had five hits and dropped to 2-20 when scoring two runs or fewer.
Making his first start since going on the IL May 9 with right pectoralis muscle inflammation, Bradley (5-1) gave up three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He threw the fastest pitch of his big league career, a 100.3 mph offering to Contreras in the fourth.
Taylor Rogers got Jarren Duran to strike out looking for the final out with the bases loaded for his second save.
After a comeback win in Friday’s series opener, the Twins took a 2-0 lead in the first against opener Jovani Morán (0-2) on Austin Martin’s RBI single and Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly.
Ceddanne Rafaela’s fourth-inning RBI double on the plate Contreras was thrown out cut Boston’s deficit in half.
Caratini’s sacrifice fly and Orlando Arcia’s run-scoring single off the glove of pitcher Brayan Bello, who tried to backhand a grounder, boosted the lead to 4-1 in the fifth.
Up next
Twins RHP Bailey Ober (5-2, 3.63 ERA) is scheduled to face Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray (5-1, 2.93) in the series finale Sunday. The forecast calls for steady rain.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
