Twins extend win streak to 12 with 3-1 win over Red Sox

There just doesn’t seem to be anything that can stop the Minnesota Twins. 

Pablo Lopez delivered with another strong start, Carlos Correa drove in a couple runs and Max Kepler hit a solo homer as the Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Target Field in Minneapolis. The win is the 12th straight for a Twins team that hasn’t lost since April 21.

Lopez allowed just one run on five hits while fanning eight across six innings of work for the Twins (19-13). That lone run came in the first inning when Tyler O’Neill doubled with two outs and Wilyer Abreu followed up with a single to left field to drive in the first run of the game. 

Lopez then pitched a 1-2-3 second inning before cruising through the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings without any threat from the Red Sox (18-16). Meanwhile, the Twins tied it up in the bottom of the first inning when Correa hit a groundout to third base that scored Jose Miranda. 

Miranda was hit by a pitch from Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino and advanced to second base when Willi Castro hit a single to left field the ensuing at-bat. It was a bullpen day for the Red Sox, and Bernardino pitched just the first inning, allowing the one hit and one run while fanning one.

The Twins took a 2-1 lead when Kepler hit a 405-foot, solo shot to right-center in the fourth.

Castro led off the sixth inning with a single to center field, took second base on a wild pitch by Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten and scored the next at-bat when Correa hit a sac fly to center field.

Jorge Alcala got the first two outs of the seventh, but Steven Okert came in for the final out with runners on first and third. Okert walked Rob Refsnyder to load the bases, but he struck out Rafael Devers swinging to get out of the inning without any damage.  

Jhoan Duran struck out two while pitching a scoreless eighth inning.

Cole Sands pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close it out for the Twins.

The Twins and Red Sox meet again for the series finale at 1:10 p.m. Sunday at Target Field.