With the American League wild-card race heating up, the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins will meet for the first time since May when they open a three-game weekend series in Boston on Friday.
The Twins (80-73) have lost six of their last 10 and 20 of their last 30 games after losing their four-game series in Cleveland and were held to just three hits in a 3-2 win in the 10th inning on Thursday.
The result put Minnesota in a tie with Detroit for the final American League playoff spot with nine games remaining.
“It’s tough. It’s tough at times,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think we could make a pretty good case that we were in position to win all four games here. It’s not going to be satisfying (to win just one game), there’s no way around it.”
Though a 10-20 record has shattered their playoff hopes, the Twins have no choice but to look forward, and the return of players like shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton from injury, both of whom have OPS above .850, certainly gives reason for optimism.
Minnesota could improve its chances of making the playoffs if it finishes the season on a high note after winning the AL Central Division last season, but it will need results to surpass the Tigers, who were 21-9 during that same span.
“Looking at it from the outside, just looking at how they’re doing and how we’re doing, it’s probably not going to be in our favor,” outfielder Matt Wallner said, “so something has to change.”
Wallner had five hits in seven at-bats in his previous two games, but was hitless in three at-bats on Thursday, striking out three.
Minnesota right-hander David Festa (2-6, 5.07 ERA) will continue his rookie season and make his 12th career start and first career start on Friday against Boston.
Festa is still looking for his first win since Aug. 5, but he ended a four-game losing streak with a no-decisive win over Cincinnati on Sunday. Festa gave up three hits and two runs over the first 3 2/3 innings while striking out four in the Twins’ 9-2 win.
The Red Sox (76-77) are on the poor side of the playoff picture, sub-.500 entering the penultimate game of the home series and four games out of third place in the wild card stakes.
That came in a 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday, but a win for the Red Sox would have given them a chance to at least tie for the lead with Minnesota in their head-to-head matchup this weekend.
In a crucial game with a chance to catch up, Boston’s batters were held to just one hit and he struck out 11, suffering his seventh shutout loss of the season.
“This is what’s been happening for the last month and a half. We just haven’t been able to get it done,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “At one point we had the best offense in baseball against right-handed hitters and now we’re not getting it done.”
Like their opponent, the Red Sox will start rookie Richard Fitts (0-0, 0.00), who has allowed just two runs in his first 10 2/3 innings in the major leagues.
Fitts took over from Tanner Hack on short notice and pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits against the Yankees last Friday in New York.
“It was a whirlwind of time before I knew when I would be starting, but I welcomed the challenge,” Fitts said. “I feel incredibly fortunate and incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to put on a Red Sox uniform now and hopefully for the rest of my life.”
–Field Level Media
