The Boston Red Sox delivered a strong performance on Sunday, defeating the Minnesota Twins 9-2 at Target Field in Minneapolis, effectively ending the Twins' impressive 12-game winning streak.
Prior to this matchup, the Red Sox had experienced a challenging stretch, suffering three consecutive losses, including two against the Twins. Notably, even in their three-game winning streak before this downturn, the team didn't hit a single home run.
The tide turned in the fifth inning when Ceddanne Rafaela broke the home run drought, blasting a full count from Joe Ryan to the first row in left-center field, scoring two crucial runs and giving the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.
“I was just focusing to hit the ball and then good things happen,” Rafaela remarked post-game. Rafael Devers followed suit with another homer in the ninth inning, adding two more runs. Contributions from Vaughn Grissom and Dominic Smith each provided two additional runs, expanding the Red Sox' lead from 3-1 to a commanding 7-1.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed his satisfaction, stating, “Losing two out of three here [stinks], but winning this one is very gratifying. It took a total team effort.”
