Vaughn Grissom of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting a two-run double during the eighth inning in the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 5, 2024. /AP
The Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Sunday, ending the opponents' 12-game winning streak.
Before playing the Twins for the third straight time, the Red Sox suffered three consecutive losses, including two to the Twins. In fact, even in the three wins in a row before the slide, the team didn't hit even one home run.
Ceddanne Rafaela ended this awkward drought for the Red Sox by blowing a full count from Joe Ryan to the first row of the left-center-field seats for two runs in the fifth inning, giving the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.
"I was just focusing to hit the ball and then good things happen," Rafaela said after the game. Their second homer was by the hands of Rafael Devers who secured another two runs in the ninth inning. Between their performances, Vaughn Grissom and Dominic Smith each added two runs to extend the Red Sox' lead from two (3-1) to six runs (7-1).
"Losing two out of three here [stinks], but winning this one is very gratifying," the Red Sox' manager Alex Cora said. "It took a total team effort."
Ceddanne Rafaela of the Boston Red Sox hits a two-run homer during the fifth inning in the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 5, 2024. /AP
As one of the most successful teams in the Major Baseball League (MLB) history, the Red Sox failed to make the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023. Having secured their 19th win for the 2024 regular season, they are currently in the third place in the American League (AL) East behind the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees.
The Twins saw their (tied) second-longest winning streak end after Sunday's loss. The longest one was 15 games in 1991, when they won their last World Series title.
"It did feel like every time an opportunity arose in the past 12 games, it felt like we were always coming through," Carlos Correa said. "Today was just one of the days that we're not able to do that. But at the same time, looking at the big picture, it's been a couple of good weeks. We've just got to keep going. It's a fun team."
The Twins (19-14) are in the second place in the AL Central Division behind the Cleveland Guardians.