MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Verdugo had three hits, including a two-run single in a six-run fifth inning, and the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to nine games, beating the Minnesota Twins 7-1 to sweep Wednesday’s doubleheader.
Eduardo Rodríguez (2-0) pitched five innings and gave up one run on five hits for Boston, which has come from behind in six of its nine wins this season after opening the year with three straight losses. The Red Sox have their longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2018, a season that ended with a World Series title.
Verdugo had five hits in the doubleheader and capped the day with his second homer of the season in the seventh inning. The Red Sox won the first game 3-2.
José Berríos (2-1) surrendered four runs in 4 1/3 innings for Minnesota, giving up four hits and three walks. Berríos, who retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, walked Franchy Cordero with the bases loaded for the first run of the fifth before departing.
The Twins have lost five straight.
The fifth unraveled quickly for Berríos when Rafael Devers’ drive to center caromed off the glove of a diving Jake Cave for a double. Christian Vázquez walked and Bobby Dalbec singled before the walk to Cordero.
Tyler Duffey relieved Berríos and struck out Kiké Hernández. But Verdugo plated Vázquez, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts walked and Devers hit a two-run single off left-hander Caleb Thielbar.
Rodríguez settled in after allowing Minnesota to score a run in the first. He gave up three hits in the first but just three baserunners through his final four innings.
The doubleheader was scheduled after Monday’s game was postponed following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in a nearby suburb.
In the first game, Nathan Eovaldi (2-1) gave up two runs on five hits in five innings for the Red Sox. Matt Barnes earned his second save.
Kenta Maeda (1-1) was undone by Minnesota’s defense in the second inning, including his own throwing error that allowed a run to score. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up three runs — two earned — on seven hits and two walks.
“It was mainly my delivery,” Maeda said. “I haven’t had too many opportunities to pitch in the cold weather. But that’s something I’ve got to get used to, being a Twin, being in Minnesota, things like that. And then last year, we started here in June with the summer camp, so this is the first time I’m experiencing the cold here.”
Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday before the doubleheader.
Simmons has said he doesn’t plan to take the vaccine, which was made available in a single-shot dosage to the team at Target Field last Thursday. Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Simmons was experiencing “very mild” symptoms and resting at his home. The positive test result was received late Tuesday, after the Twins lost 4-2 to the Red Sox.
After the initial phase of contact tracing, the Twins determined no additional players needed to be quarantined. If he is asymptomatic, Simmons can return 10 days after the original test as long as he comes back negative at the end of the waiting period.
Simmons was replaced on the roster by infielder J.T. Riddle, who was summoned from the taxi squad. Third baseman Josh Donaldson, out since the season opener with a strained hamstring, played in the second game of the doubleheader and was 1-for-2.
The Twins held a meeting to remind players and staff to heed virus protocols, even though a majority of them have gotten vaccinated. The full immunization period isn’t in effect yet.
“We’re not out of the woods by any means on that front,” Falvey said, adding: “Now is the time to be as vigilant as possible.”
Simmons said on Twitter last month he would not be getting the vaccine or advocating for it, for “personal reasons and past experience,” on which he declined to elaborate. He confirmed on Sunday that he did not participate in the team-wide vaccination. Asked if he planned to get the shot in the future, Simmons said he didn’t know.
“We want to continue to educate people in the environment. This is real. This is something that can enter. We know that,” Falvey said. “Sometimes no one really knows exactly how it can come at different times. We know that from looking not just across our sport, but across all sports and across the country and the world. Our view of that is constantly reminding people of why we think it’s a good idea to get vaccinated. Our docs have recommended that, and so we continue to provide them as resources to players, to learn as much as they can about this.”
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