Twins extend winning streak to 11 games with 5-2 victory over Red Sox
May 3—MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Paddack pitched six scoreless innings to carry the Minnesota Twins to their 11th consecutive victory, a 5-2 decision over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
The Twins matched winning streaks in 2003 and 2006 for their third-longest ever, trailing the club record of 15 during its last World Series championship season in 1991. It also won 12 in a row in 1980.
Minnesota (18-13) has the longest winning streak in the major leagues this year. There were only four last season of 10-plus games, topped by Tampa Bay's 13 straight.
Edouard Julien hit a two-out RBI single to give Paddack (3-1) a 1-0 lead in the third inning, and the lanky, long-haired right-hander deftly took it from there. He allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one while throwing 83 pitches.
Red Sox starter Tanner Houck (3-3) completed six innings for the sixth time in seven turns this season, but he was pulled three batters into the seventh as the Twins broke the game open with a four-run inning.
Julien drew a bases-loaded walk on an automatic ball for a pitch clock violation called on Naoyuki Uwasawa, before Ryan Jeffers delivered a two-run double.
The Red Sox appeared on the verge of a big innings when Jarren Duran reached on an error by shortstop Carlos Correa to start the game and Rafael Devers followed with a double. But Paddack struck out Tyler O'Neill, got Wilyer Abreu to pop out to Correa and retired Garrett Cooper on a soft grounder to second base.
Devers hit a two-run double off Caleb Thielbar in the eighth to cut the lead to three, but Thielbar bounced back to strike out O'Neill. Jhoan Duran worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save.
Boston (18-15) struck out 13 times.
The Twins happily returned home from six games on the road that gave them their first undefeated trip of six-plus games in franchise history, toting their lucky summer sausage and a lineup full of hot hitters.
Castro, who scored on Julien's single in the third, is 3 for 5 in his career against the right-handed Houck with a double and a home run.
The multi-position backup, who pushed his hitting streak to a career-best nine games, went 2 for 3 with two runs and a sacrifice bunt. He's slated for regular duty in center field with Byron Buxton landing on the injured list because of knee inflammation.
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