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.
Smith just joined the Red Sox this past week after he opted out of his minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Last season, the eight-year veteran batted .254 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI for the Washington Nationals.
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.
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning, though the Twins mounted a scoring threat when Jose Miranda reached on an error and advanced to third base on a single from Kyle Farmer. But Ryan Jeffers popped out to second base to end the ballgame.
Minnesota’s 12-game win streak was the longest in MLB this season and the longest for the organization since 1980. The 1991 Twins won 15 consecutive games on their way to a World Series championship.
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).
