Red Sox 5, Twins 6: Sloppy Sweep

Rain affected Fenway Park throughout the game, leaving the field playable but creating difficult conditions. Sonny Gray struggled to command pitches, land his cutter, and execute in two-strike situations, including a missed defensive detail on a throw home. The Twins capitalized on infield hits, including a ball that deflected off Gray’s foot, to score two runs and regain the lead. Later, Tyron Guerrero allowed jam shots and additional baserunners, while Jarren Duran’s errant throw and Carlos Narvaez’s inability to handle a throw led to two more runs. In the ninth, a runner was cut down at the plate during a send, and further rain delays preceded additional pitching errors.

"It first appeared in Sonny Gray's performance. He managed just four innings, allowing three runs on 75 pitches. The outing wasn't a disaster, but he clearly had a difficult time spinning the baseball, couldn't land his cutter in the zone, and didn't execute with two strikes. In the first inning, he failed to back up a throw home from Wilyer Abreu. It ultimately didn't matter, but good teams get those details correct. In the third inning, the Twins took advantage of two infield singles - one of which looked like an easy double play ball that deflected off of Gray's foot - and grabbed two runs to retake the lead."

"Later on, in the sixth inning with the Red Sox in the lead, Tyron Guerrero gave up two singles on jam shots through the infield. Garrett Whitlock took over and surrendered a hit to plate a run. Jarren Duran fielded the ball at the wall and made an out-of-control, high-arching throw to third base that allowed the hitter to easily take second base. The next hitter singled, Duran threw home, and Carlos Narvaez couldn't handle the throw. Two runs scored on the play, the second being the runner who took an extra base on Duran's throw."

"Skipping ahead to the ninth inning with the Red Sox trailing by two, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa doubled off the wall with runners on the corners. Third base coach Chad Epperson tried to have Connor Wong score from first on the play, and he was cut down at the plate. The send came with one out, and the rain was so bad at that point that the grounds crew came out to work on the field. After the delay, Twins pitcher Yoendrys Gomez balked and then hit Jarren Duran with a wild pitch."

Read at Over the Monster