Alex Verdugo drove in four runs and Triston Casas added a two-run homer as the Boston Red Sox won their fifth straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins 9-3 on Monday in Minneapolis.
Jarren Duran had three doubles and two RBIs for Boston, which has averaged eight runs per game during its winning streak.
Red Sox starter James Paxton (3-1) allowed three runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Minnesota struck out 11 times and lost for the fourth time in its last five games. Christian Vazquez provided the Twins’ only scoring with a three-run homer against his former team.
The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the third inning when Adam Duvall drew a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk against Minnesota starter Pablo Lopez (3-4).
Duran delivered a two-run double in the fourth inning before Minnesota pulled even on Vazquez’s three-run blast in the fifth.
The homer was the first this season for Vazquez, who played parts of eight seasons in Boston.
The Red Sox reclaimed the lead with three runs in the sixth inning. Lopez was replaced by Jovani Moran with two runners on and two outs, and Moran walked Rob Refsnyder to load the bases. Verdugo followed with a three-run triple to right field.
Lopez allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out nine while throwing a season-high 104 pitches.
The Twins were unable to rally against Paxton, who has a 2.22 ERA in his last four starts covering 24 1/3 innings.
Boston stretched its lead to 8-3 with two outs in the seventh inning on Casas’ two-run homer against Jose De Leon. It was the eighth homer of the season for Casas, who is 7-for-17 (.412) during his five-game hitting streak.
Verdugo added an insurance run in the eighth when his single scored Pablo Reyes from second base.
Willi Castro had two hits for Minnesota, which fell to 3-4 on its 10-game homestand. Byron Buxton went 0-for-3 with a walk and has not had a hit in his last eight games (0-for-24).
–Field Level Media
