The Minnesota Twins’ 12-game winning streak ended 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 for the rest of the game. Boston definitely closed out the game 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 contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. Last season, the eight-year veteran hit .254 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs for the Washington Nationals.
Minnesota scored a run in the bottom of the eighth on Trevor Larnach’s single that drove in Max Kepler. But the Red Sox added two runs in the ninth with a triple by Jarren Durán and a two-run homer by Rafael Devers that made the score 9-2.
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning, although the Twins mounted a scoring threat when José Miranda reached on an error and advanced to third base on Kyle Farmer’s single. But Ryan Jeffers jumped to second base to end the game.
Minnesota’s 12-game winning 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 fall to 19-14, a half-game behind the Kansas City Royals for third place in the American League Central Division. The Cleveland Guardians have the lead in the division. Next up for Minnesota is a four-game home series against the Seattle Mariners (18-15).