Boston (53-55, 27-32 home) led Minnesota (47-60, 24-28 away) 4-2 at Fenway Park and were one strike away from ending a three-game losing streak to the second worst team in the American League. Then Joe Mauer hit a three-run bomb (his 7th of the season) just over the Wall in left off Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves (2-7, 6th blown save).
As always, the Red Sox went down quietly as Jared Burton got a 1-2-3 ninth (on 9 pitches) for his fifth save of the season. Alex Burnett (4-3) got the easy win for recording the last out of the eighth. 2012 circled the drain a long time ago and I currently view this miserable franchise like I did last September: I take some sort of twisted joy from their failure since they are the most unlikable local team I can ever remember.
Clay Buchholz continued to be Boston's best starting pitcher (not much of a contest) and he deserved more than a no decision after seven innings, one run (0 earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Twins rookie Cole DeVries was superb as well against the Red Sox lineup that lacks punch without David Ortiz in it. He went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Of course, when we look at the box score, no team that has half as many hits (12-6) and three errors ever really should win. Let's be honest there.
Ben Revere went 3-for-4 with a run and stolen base, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Justin Morneau (2 hits, RBI) and Jamey Carroll (2 runs, 2 hits, RBI) continued to kill the Red Sox this weekend.
Boston took a 2-0 lead as Carl Crawford had an RBI double in the first and Mike Aviles slugged a solo homer in the second, his career-high 11th of the season.
Minnesota scored a run in the fifth on Kelly Shoppach's throwing error then Morneau's sacrifice fly in the eighth tied it at two.
Pedro Ciriaco-one of the only guys to cheer for this season-came through with a clutch pinch-hit homer in the eighth, the first of his MLB career over the Monster. Cody Ross added an RBI single.
Carroll's RBI single cut it to 4-3 in the ninth as Aceves stuggled to get the two-inning save. Bobby Valentine should have seen that he was struggling and gone to Craig Breslow to face Mauer, but he didn't since he's a moron.
Franklin Morales (2-2) is the only thing that stands between a sweep by the Twins this afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) as he returns to the rotation to face Nick Blackburn (4-6). Get your popcorn ready, I'm pretty sure the Red Sox will find a way to do it. This series has been the final death knell to this season that we knew was going nowhere all along.
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