MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — 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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Manager Rocco 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.
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.
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