Trevor Story hit a three-run home run and drove in five runs to help the visiting Boston Red Sox avoid a three-game sweep by defeating the Minnesota Twins, 9-5, Wednesday afternoon.
After he homered against Minnesota starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson in the third inning, Story added a two-run double in the sixth. Story’s home run was his second of the season.
Andruw Monasterio collected three hits for the Red Sox. Monasterio was playing in place of Willson Contreras, who removed himself from Tuesday’s game with back stiffness. Roman Anthony and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each had two hits in the win.
Boston starter Connelly Early (1-0) earned the win for holding the Twins to one run on two hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Woods Richardson (0-3) allowed seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits in five innings.
Austin Martin and Ryan Kreidler homered for Minnesota, which outscored Boston 19-6 in the first two games of the series.
The Twins entered Wednesday’s game with a six -game home winning streak.
After Martin’s solo home run opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, the Red Sox scored five runs in the third. Boston took the lead by scoring twice when second baseman Luke Keaschall committed two errors (one fielding, one throwing) on Masataka Yoshida’s grounder with the bases loaded. Story followed with his three-run home run that scored Ceddanne Rafaela and Yoshida to make it 5-1.
Boston extended its lead to 7-1 by pushing two runs across the plate in the fifth. Jarren Duran reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on Monasterio’s double to make it 6-1, and Monasterio added the seventh run by scoring from third on Connor Wong’s sacrifice bunt.
It was 9-1 after Story’s double in the sixth drove in Anthony and Rafaela.
Minnesota scored four times in the ninth. A Brooks Lee single drove in Tristan Gray to make it 9-2 before Kreidler hit a three-run home run that finalized the scoring.
