The Minnesota Twins’ 12-game winning streak ended on Sunday afternoon with a 9–2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Target Field.
Shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Red Sox a 3–1 lead that held up for the rest of the game. Boston put the game away for certain with four runs in the top of the eighth. Vaughn Grissom and Dominic Smith each hit two-run doubles off Twins reliever Kody Funderburk to increase the lead to 7–1.
Minnesota scored a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Trevor Larnach single that drove in Max Kepler. But the Red Sox added two runs in the ninth on a triple by Jarren Duran and two-run homer from Rafael Devers that made the score 9–2.
With the loss, the Twins drop to 19–14, falling a half-game behind the Kansas City Royals for third place in the AL Central. The Cleveland Guardians hold a lead in the division. Up next for Minnesota is a four-game home series with the Seattle Mariners (18–15).
