The Red Sox's final game ever at the Metrodome (barring a playoff meeting) had a little bit of everything in yesterday's afternoon matinee.
Boston (28-20) won 3-1 to earn a split in the four-game series with the Twins (24-25).
Jason Varitek led the Boston offense with two solo home runs before he was tossed in the bottom of the seventh inning. This led to Red Sox manager Terry Francona also being ejected. Oh and did I mention that Twins catcher Mike Redmond and manager Ron Gardenhire were also booted earlier in top of the seventh?
Home plate umpire Todd Tichenor, who was recently promoted from the minors, seemed to have a quick hook to say the least.
The Twins were upset after Jeff Bailey scored on a Dustin Pedroia sacrifice fly which gave Boston the 3-1 lead. Bailey's tag of home and Redmond's tag of him seemed to happen simultaneously.
In the bottom of the frame, Varitek got pissed because Tichenor appeared to squeeze Sox pitcher Josh Beckett (5-2) on a close pitch. Despite that bit of drama, Beckett pitched great going seven strong innings and only allowing a run on three hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Joe Crede gave Minnesota its lone run when he blasted a solo bomb to left.
Varitek's homers (both from the left side) were in the fifth and seventh.
Jonathan Papelbon earned his 13th save after a scoreless ninth.
From there, Boston traveled North of the border to face the suddenly stumbling Blue Jays. Toronto has lost nine games in a row and has fallen to third in the AL East.
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