Red Sox Fall Back to .500 in Loss to Twins

By Matthew Bond in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ August 3, 2012 at 12:17pm ⋅ Post a comment

The Minnesota Twins have the worst team ERA in the American League, but there was little sign of that on Thursday night as the team combined to two-hit the Red Sox, as Boston fell 5-0 to a team 15 games under .500. Jon Lester received the loss but pitched well, and both Sox hits came off of the bat of Adrian Gonzalez as the rest of the team was quiet.

Lester turned in a solid eight inning outing, allowing just three runs on seven hits, striking out seven and not walking a single batter. However the Sox couldn’t seem to touch Sam Deduno, who allowed just the two Gonzalez hits and four walks, working out of a few jams to come away with the win.

The Twins scored two runs in the third inning after RBI hits by Denard Span and Ben Revere, then in the sixth Minnesota tacked on a third run on an RBI double by Ryan Doumit. They added their final two runs in the ninth inning when Alfredo Aceves came into the game after Lester finished the eighth, allowing a two-run shot by Brian Dozier.

It was the type of deflating loss the Sox have come too familiar with this season. After a difficult stretch of the schedule against the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers which the Sox came out of with a 5-4 record, a series opening loss to the lowly Twins with such a poor offensive display makes it hard to think they can go on a run into the postseason.

Tags: Adrian Gonzalez, Alfredo Aceves, ben revere, Boston Red Sox, Brian Dozier, Denard Span, Jon Lester, Minnesota Twins, Ryan Doumit, Sam Deduno