Rodríguez, Red Sox recover from 17-inning loss, beat Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eduardo Rodríguez picked up Boston's bullpen a night after a 17-inning loss, Brock Holt drove in three runs and the Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-4 on Wednesday night.
Rodríguez (8-4) allowed four runs on eight hits, but more important, he lasted seven innings after the Red Sox used eight relievers in Tuesday's marathon.
Boston scored three runs in the second, fifth and eighth innings to win for the seventh time in eight games. The AL Central-leading Twins have dropped three of four and lost a home series for just the second time this season.
Kyle Gibson (7-4) couldn't lighten the load on Minnesota's bullpen. He tied a career high with five walks and threw 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits.
Eddie Rosario's RBI single put Minnesota ahead in the first, but Holt, Michael Chavis and Mookie Betts each had RBI singles in the second.
Willians Astudillo and Max Kepler homered in the fourth to give the Twins a 4-3 lead, but Boston rallied again.
Xander Bogaerts ripped an RBI double to left. Holt plated another run with a sacrifice fly and Chavis chased Gibson with his second hit.
Rodríguez settled in and retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced after Kepler's homer.
ROSTER MOVES
The Red Sox placed Hector Velázquez on the injured list with a low back strain and recalled right-hander Josh Smith from Triple-A Pawtucket. Velázquez pitched four innings in Tuesday's game but had a recurrence of the back injury that forced him to the injured list before he returned Tuesday.
Minnesota placed Marwin Gonzalez on the injured list with a right hamstring strain. The Twins also placed reliever Blake Parker on the family medical emergency list.
Astudillo was recalled from Triple-A Rochester, and the team selected the contract of right-hander Sean Poppen from Triple-A. Poppen, a 19th-round draft choice in 2016 out of Harvard, made his major league debut and allowed three runs in four innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: 3B Rafael Devers left the game in fifth inning with right hamstring tightness. Devers appeared to sustain the injury running out an infield single. He stayed in the game but was replaced by Eduardo Núñez after running to third base. ... Nathan Eovaldi (right elbow) threw for the third straight day. Manager Alex Cora said Eovaldi would take a day off and the team would map out his next throwing session. ... Heath Hembree (right elbow extensor strain) played catch before the game.
Twins: To make room on the 40-man roster for Poppen, Minnesota moved Adalberto Mejía to the 60-day disabled list. Mejía has been out since the start of May with a right calf strain.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Following an off day, Boston returns home Friday against Toronto. Chris Sale (3-7, 3.49 ERA) takes the mound for the Red Sox with the Jays starting Trent Thornton (2-5, 4.36). Sale has allowed two total runs over his past three starts and has struck out at least 10 batters in four straight games.
Twins: Jake Odorizzi (10-2, 2.24) will try to keep his run going as Minnesota opens a four-game series at Kansas City on Thursday. Odorizzi has won 10 straight decisions and beat the Royals in his last start. Kansas City will start Glenn Sparkman (1-3, 4.01).