Mookie Betts will not start the Red Sox game Saturday night against the Minnesota twins after being pulled from Friday nights game with what is being described as soreness in his knee.
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The Twins’ 11-9 victory over the Red Sox took a little bit of everything.
Through his first 15 career innings at this hitter’s paradise, Gibson has a 0.60 ERA with four hits and one walk allowed.
“It’s easy to preach about trying to play nine innings”, Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Gibson’s performance was exactly what the Twins needed after the humbling results in the series opener Thursday. Dustin Pedroia is 5-for-10 with a solo home run while all three hits by David Ortiz against Milone have been solo homers.
Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (2-6, 5.12 ERA) gets his 12th start of the season for the Twins. Steven Wright gave up one earned run over eight innings along with nine strikeouts to get the win.
Betts, 23, is the youngest Red Sox player to reach 20 home runs in a season since Nomar Garciaparra at age 24 in 1997 and the youngest outfielder to reach that mark since Ellis Burks in 1987. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings in that win and allowed just four base hits while striking out three batters. His 2.19 earned run average in 37 innings pitched has given him a higher status in the bullpen.
“Stage was set. Golden opportunity”, manager John Farrell said.
Boston, which had 16 hits in an 11-7 win over San Francisco on Wednesday, was up 3-0 after getting four hits against Minnesota starter Tyler Duffey (5-7) in the first. Boston, which has feasted on poor pitching as of late, has won 12 of 15 July games to take sole possession of first place in the AL East. Neither David Ortiz nor Hanley Ramirez could get the job done with the game on the line. A change of scenery could also do wonders for the 31-year-old as he looks to turn his season around and prove he can still be an effective starter in the majors.
Miguel Sano’s solo homer in the eighth finished the scoring for the night.
Swirling winds from a passing storm halted play throughout the first inning as sand and debris whipped around the field.
What I found even more interesting about Molitor’s comments, though, is the notion that May has four high-quality pitches.
Trailing 8-5 in the seventh, the Twins surged ahead with five runs.
Byron Buxton’s bunt single plated Suzuki, and Buxton later scored on Nunez’s single.
Portland helped Stankiewicz with two four-run innings, the third and seventh. Betts has become a star this season for the Red Sox, and was recently selected to his first All Star Game. He received stitches and did not suffer a concussion.
“Kurt got gassed”, Molitor said. “Going through treatment and have to make sure everything is clear and then I’ll be back out there”. Rodriguez entered the game with a awful 7.18 ERA, and was even sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket following a 2.2 inning, nine run performance on June 27th. “Structurally everything’s fine”, Betts said. You just got shut down by the 2016 Twins and blew a golden opportunity in the 9th.
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Betts was removed from Friday’s game for precautionary reasons before the top of the fifth and was replaced by Michael Martinez. Mauer is 6-for-34 versus Price. The 9K run/2 1/2-mile walk ended at home plate at Fenway Park.
