Added to the starting lineup late, Christian Arroyo had a career-high five hits and drove in four runs, while Kutter Crawford pitched five scoreless innings for the Boston Red Sox in a 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
Adam Duvall and Arroyo hit solo homers in the fourth to start the scoring, and Masataka Yoshida added a two-run shot in the eighth. Arroyo also hit a three-run double as part of a five-run seventh for Boston, which has outscored opponents 50-18 during a six-game win streak.
“Just got to always stay prepared, that’s just part of it,” Arroyo said, later adding about his first career five-hit game: “Kind of speechless. … This is the biggest stage, right? So, like, every hitter dreams of that. It was awesome.”
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Boston Red Soxs Christian Arroyo, center, celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Arroyo wasn’t in the original starting lineup but was inserted when shortstop Pablo Reyes was scratched just before the start of the game with right abdominal soreness. Manager Alex Cora said Reyes is sore and is day to day after feeling the injury during pregame infield work.
“We don’t want take the aggressive of the approach, but at the same time, he can put an at-bat together,” Cora said of Arroyo. “You can take pitches because you’re good. When you get into counts, you put the ball in play, you hit the ball hard.”
Crawford (2-3) gave up just six hits and struck out five. Corey Kluber allowed four runs on three homers but pitched the final three innings for his first career save.
Bailey Ober (4-4) surrendered three runs on eight hits in six innings for Minnesota, which has lost five of six and fell to a season-worst two games under .500 (36-38). The Twins started the day with a two-game lead over Cleveland in the American League Central.
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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford delivers to a Minnesota Twins batter during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“Obviously, stuff’s not going the way we want it to go,” Ober said. “I think we’re a little frustrated. We’re trying to go out there and win games every single day, and right now, it’s just not happening. So we’re trying to do everything — dig deep, think about what we need to do to win ballgames. That’s all we can do right now.”
Byron Buxton, who snapped an 0-for-24 skid with a single in the second, hit a two-run homer in the eighth. Royce Lewis and Max Kepler added solo homers in the ninth.
“We know it’s not good baseball,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s just not the baseball that we’re accustomed to from our team. I honestly don’t have a lot to say about it. We’ve got to muster something up that’s not currently there.”
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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober reacts after a solo home run by Boston Red Soxs Christian Arroyo during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
CAREFUL AT THE BUFFET
Cora spoke about wanting Crawford to attack hitters like he does when he comes out of the bullpen, instead of wasting pitches to set hitters up.
“I think his stuff plays,” Cora said of Crawford. “I think the first four pitches of the game were four-seamer, cutter, curveball and split. It’s kind of like going to be the buffet. You got all this stuff and then, you know, stuff happens. Don’t get too greedy because you’ve got all the tools. His four-seamer is a good one. It’s elite.”
TRAINERS ROOM
Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck will undergo surgery next week to have a plate put in after he sustained a facial fracture from being hit by a batted ball last week against New York. Manager Alex Cora said he anticipates Houck returning to pitch this season but there is no timetable for his return.
Twins: Baldelli was asked about the possibility of Buxton returning to play the outfield and said the injury-riddled outfielder, who signed a seven-year, $100 million extension after the 2021 season, is not healthy enough to play the field. “If he could play in the field, he would be playing in the field,” Baldelli said. “Physically, he cannot play in the field.” The team had implemented a plan in spring training to try to keep Buxton healthy that has included limiting him to DH duties so far this season.
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Boston Red Soxs Adam Duvall celebrates while crossing home plate after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
UP NEXT
RHP Sonny Gray (4-1, 2.37 ERA) will start Wednesday night in the third of the four-game series. RHP Garrett Whitlock (4-2, 4.38) is scheduled for Boston. It will be the first start since Gray was seen arguing with Baldelli in the dugout on June 15 when he was lifted after four innings and 79 pitches with four walks.
