Red Sox split first home series of 2022 with the Twins

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 16: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox rides in a laundry cart through the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 16, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 16: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox rides in a laundry cart through the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 16, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 17: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox hits a sacrifice fly during the sixth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 17, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 17: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox hits a sacrifice fly during the sixth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 17, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox vs Twins final thoughts

This series was about as up-and-down as the split suggests. There were some great individual performances, namely Verdugo, Bogaerts, Houck and Wacha, and the games on Saturday and Sunday were as crisp as they’ve played all season. Yet the games on Friday and Monday were lifeless and uncompetitive, and the starting pitching in those contests were terrible.

Before the series, I said that the Red Sox should take three out of four. With the amount of road games on the April schedule and series against the Blue Jays and Rays looming, the Sox really needed a big series at home against the Twins. Both the series and the season so far have been mediocre, and the Red Sox should be better than that.

The Red Sox now welcome the powerhouse Blue Jays to town for a three-game set on Tuesday. The Blue Jays, however, have also not been playing their best baseball, as their starting rotation has had a number blow-ups and star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez landing on the IL. This is a prime opportunity for the Red Sox to establish their place in the stacked AL East.

Series MVP: Xander Bogaerts (7-17, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

Schedule