Byron Buxton collected four hits, including two solo home runs, and Mick Abel pitched seven scoreless innings as the Minnesota Twins extended their home winning streak to six games by beating the visiting Boston Red Sox 6-0 Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Abel (1-2) limited Boston to four hits, struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter. Taylor Rogers and Cole Sands each tossed one inning of scoreless relief.
Buxton, who has three home runs in his last two games, scored four times.
Minnesota also received a solo home run from Brooks Lee. It was his third home run of the season. Trevor Larnach had two RBIs, and Luke Keaschall collected two hits.
The Twins, who beat Boston 13-6 on Monday, have won eight of their last nine and improved their home record to 7-2.
Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida each had two hits for Boston, which had six hits in the loss. The Red Sox have lost 11 of their first 17 games.
Boston starter Sonny Gray (2-1) gave up five runs on nine hits in four innings. He struck out one and walked one.
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras left the game in the fifth inning with tightness in his lower back. Andruw Monasterio finished the game at first base.
The Twins grabbed a 1-0 lead when Buxton singled, moved to second on a balk and scored on Keaschall’s single in the bottom of the first.
Buxton made it 2-0 when he led off the second with a home run, and Lee’s solo home run made it 3-0 in the fourth. Larnach’s two-run single drove in Tristan Gray and Buxton to extend the lead to 5-0 later in the fourth.
Buxton’s second home run of the game — his third of the season — increased Minnesota’s lead to 6-0 in the sixth.
–Field Level Media
