Minnesota @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 2, 2015 ) Minnesota 0, Boston 1
The Boston Red Sox benefited from a day off – at least in terms of the pitching staff. The Red Sox will still be trying to get something out of the offense when they host the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday in a day-night doubleheader that was necessitated by Monday’s rainout.
Boston went 1-6 on a seven-game road trip that included three losses in Minnesota as the pitching staff and the offense took turns letting the team down. Clay Buchholz made sure the pitching staff held up its end of the bargain on Tuesday and Koji Uehara finished off a 1-0 shutout. The Twins, who went 20-7 in May, are off to a 0-1 start in June after managing only three hits on Tuesday. Four of those seven losses last month came on the road, and Minnesota is just 11-13 outside the comforts of Target Field.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Phil Hughes (4-4, 4.59 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 0.00)
Hughes was reached for four runs in 6 2/3 innings by Boston last week but got enough offensive support to come away with the win. The California native yielded a pair of two-run home runs to Dustin Pedroia in that outing but did not walk a batter. Hughes has gone at least six innings in each of his last five starts and is 4-0 in that span.
Rodriguez was expected to return to Triple-A Pawtucket after his major-league debut at Texas on Thursday but was so impressive that he earned himself at least one more look. The Venezuela native struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings while walking two and scattering three hits. Rodriguez will stick around in the big leagues as long as those results continue.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts is 5-for-7 over the last two games, breaking out of an 0-for-15 slump.
2. Minnesota RHP Ricky Nolasco (ankle) will likely skip his next start.
3. Boston 3B Pablo Sandoval has not recorded multiple hits in a game since May 10, dropping his average from .306 to .249.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Twins 3