Red Sox split first home series of 2022 with the Twins
By Daniel Fox
Analysis of the Red Sox vs Twins series
After opening the season with series in New York and Detroit, the Boston Red Sox finally returned home for a series against the Twins.
The homestand could not have gotten off to a worse start, as the Twins rocked starter Nick Pivetta for four runs in just two innings. Meanwhile, Joe Ryan dominated the Red Sox, allowing just one run over six strong innings. A two-run Rafael Devers home run closed the gap to within two, but the Twins got those runs right back in the top of the ninth to seal a 8-4 victory.
Game two was all about Tanner Houck. The righty schooled the Twins over 5 2/3 shutout innings, and while the offense wasn’t great, two-run shots by Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo were all the support he needed. Garrett Whitlock finished the job with 2.1 scoreless innings, and the Red Sox cruised to a 4-0 win.
Game three took place on a cold, windy afternoon in Boston, and the early part of the game showed it. Michael Wacha tossed five scoreless innings for the Sox, but Twins starter Bailey Ober matched him pitch for pitch. The Red Sox finally got a rally going when Devers reached on an error and a double by Bogaerts, and back-to-back sacrifices by J.D Martinez and Verdugo gave the Sox a 2-0 lead. The score remained close into the eighth, when the Red Sox blew the game open with a six spot and won the game 8-1.
The series finale took place on 11:00 a.m. on Patriots Days, but the mood quickly turned from festive to gloomy. Two early two-run shots gave the Twins a 4-0 lead, and Dylan Bundy allowed just one run over 5 1/3 innings. The Red Sox could never really get anything going, losing 8-3.