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Pablo López strikes out 8 in 6 innings as Twins beat Red Sox 3-1 for 12th straight victory

By The Associated Press

Boston Red Sox v Minnesota Twins MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 04: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox hits an RBI single against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on May 04, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) (David Berding/Getty Images)

By The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pablo López struck out eight in six strong innings, Max Kepler homered and the Minnesota Twins extended their winning streak to 12 games with a 3-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

The Twins have the longest winning streak in the majors this season. Minnesota’s run matches the team’s winning streak from the late 1980s, which is the second-longest in Twins history. The club record for consecutive wins in 15, from June 1991, which is the last season Minnesota won the World Series.

Kepler and Willi Castro each had two hits, Carlos Correa had two RBIs and Cole Sands pitched a scoreless final inning for his second save.

Wilyer Abreu and Dominic Smith had two hits apiece for Boston, which has lost three straight games.

Kepler homered off Cam Booser (0-1) in the fourth inning. Booser was the third of five pitchers used in a bullpen game.

Castro singled leading off the sixth, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches by Justin Slaten and scored on a sacrifice fly by Correa for a 3-1 lead.

Briefly tended to by trainers after covering first base in the second inning, López allowed five hits and struck out seven of the last 12 hitters he faced.

López struck out Rafael Devers on a high fastball with a tying run on third to end the fifth. Devers, who stared at home plate umpire Lance Barksdale for several seconds after a called second strike two pitches earlier, slammed his helmet in disgust.

Devers struck out with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh. This time the bat got spiked.

Boston has gone six straight games without a home run, its longest streak since six in a row April 23-28, 2022.

Smith nearly ended that streak leading off the seventh, but his line drive hit high off the wall in right field. The carom was played perfectly by Kepler, who fired a strike to Correa at second. Seeing he was easily out Smith didn’t bother sliding.

Abreu worked back from an 0-and-2 count and capped a 10-pitch at-bat for an early 1-0 Red Sox lead. An RBI ground out by Correa tied the game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Vaughn Grissom did not play Saturday, one day after he returned from the 10-day injured list (hamstring). The plan is for him to start Sunday and both upcoming games in Atlanta. … Nick Pivetta, on the 15-day disabled list since April 6 with a right elbow flexor strain, is expected to be activated for a Wednesday start in Atlanta. He made a Triple-A rehab start Thursday.

UP NEXT

The teams wrap up the three-game series Sunday with Boston RHP Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.65) and Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (1-1, 3.38) the scheduled starters.

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