The Minnesota Twins’ five-game winning streak was snapped on Wednesday night as Xander Bogaerts drove in five runs in a 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
The key play happened as Joe Ryan ran into trouble in the third inning. With runners on the corners with nobody out, Alex Verdugo grounded to Jose Miranda at first base, who decided to throw home to try and stop Kevin Plawecki from scoring.
The result proved costly as Plawecki retreated safely to third base, which loaded the bases for Bogaerts to deliver a line-drive grand slam over the left field wall.
GRAND XLAM 🚨❌
Xander Bogaerts's 113mph rocket is the hardest-hit HR of the Statcast era (since 2015) 😳
(via @RedSox)pic.twitter.com/r1CwWEonnu
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 1, 2022
The homer was part of a tough night for Ryan, who also allowed a solo bomb to J.D. Martinez later in the inning to put the Red Sox ahead 5-0.
Luis Arraez chipped into the lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third but the Red Sox maintained their five-run lead after Bogaerts smacked an RBI double in the sixth.
The Twins battled back with Arraez’s third RBI of the game in the seventh before starting a threat in the eighth. Nick Gordon’s two-RBI double made it a 6-5 game but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, getting Boston out of the inning.
More clutch hitting from Nick Gordon!! ⚡#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/safudMx8OK
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) September 1, 2022
The Twins mounted another rally in the ninth with Gilberto Celestino’s lead-off single and a walk from Gary Sanchez, but Arraez popped out before Carlos Correa grounded into a game-ending double play.
The loss was a missed opportunity for the Twins, who remain 1.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central. After an off day on Thursday, the Twins hit the road for a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox, who sit 3.5 games behind Minnesota for second place in the division.
