Twins Embarrass Red Sox (4/14/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made roster moves. Tyler Samaniego was optioned back to Worcester and the Sox called up 26 year old right handed pitcher Jack Anderson to make his ML debut. He was taken in the Rule 5 Draft at the end of 2024 and spent the majority of last season in Portland. Congratulations Jack.

                                                               OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, this is getting toxic real fast. Its bad enough to be a bad team, its another to be completely unlikeable. The Sox got embarrassed by the Minnesota Twins on and off the field for the second straight day. Max Abel came into the game with an ERA over 8 and shut out the Sox while striking out 10 in 7 innings. Meanwhile Sonny Gray (2-1, 4.43 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in just 4 lousy innings. Carlos Narvaez struck out four times and looked completely interested while Jarren Duran flipped a fan the bird while going 0 for 4 himself. Apart from the ML debut of Jack Anderson, this team has gone to hell in a hand basket as the Twins blanked the Sox 6-0. How many runs did the Sox score John Cena?

Abel got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony grounded out to second to start. Caleb Durbin grounded out to third and Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right. Willson Contreras took strike three to end the inning. The Twins wasted no time getting to Gray in the bottom of the first as Byron Buxton singled to center to start. Buxton took second on a balk but Trevor Larnach was frozen for strike three. It looked like Buxton was thrown out at home on a base hit to center by Luke Keaschall, but Twins manager Derek Shelton challenged Buxton was safe. Sure enough, replays showed Buxton was safe to put the Twins up for good just three batters into the first inning. Josh Bell forced Keaschall at second and Matt Wallner grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                          Keaschall drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Jarren Duran also swung at air to end the inning. Victor Caratini flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Kody Clemens got a base hit to center. Clemens promptly stole second and took third on the Brooks Lee grounder to second. Tristan Gray grounded out to third to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez took strike three to start the top of the third and Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to first. Anthony got a base hit to center but Durbin's bunt attempt to the mound failed to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the third as Buxton hit a home run all the way to North Dakota to increase the lead. Larnach lined out to center but Keaschall singled to left. Bell grounded out to second but Wallner walked. Caratini was hit with a pitch but Clemens grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                               Home run Buxton

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Contreras was hit with a pitch. Abreu flied out to left and Contreras took second on a passed ball. Story grounded out to third to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Lee hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to start. Gray got a base hit to right, Buxton singled to left and Larnach singled to right. Gray and Buxton both scored but Larnach was out at second on the throw. Keaschall grounded out to second and Bell did the same to end the inning. That was it for Gray who was hammered for 5 runs in just 4 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

                                                           Gray was garbage

Duran grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth then gave some heckling fan the one finger salute. Narvaez struck out swinging but Kiner got a base hit to center. Anthony took 3 straight pitches right down the middle to end the inning.

                                                     The Steve Austin special

Jack Anderson made his ML debut in the bottom of the fifth with Andruw Monasterio in for Contreras. Wallner struck out swinging before Caratini also went down hacking. Clemens struck out swinging to end the inning as even Twins fans gave Anderson a standing O.

                                                          Welcome to Boston, Jack

Durbin grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but Yoshida got a base hit to left. Somehow Monasterio challenged a strike three pitch right down the middle and got laughed at. Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning. Lee lined out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Gray struck out swinging. Buxton then hit yet another home run to wrap up the scoring before Larnach walked. Keaschall flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 6-0.

                                                           Buxton does it again

Story struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Duran grounded out to first. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Max Abel had held the Sox scoreless through seven innings with 10 strikeouts, pathetic. Bell grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Wallner grounded out to second. Caratini grounded out to second to end the inning.

Taylor Rogers came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Kiner flied out to left to start. Anthony doubled to left and Durbin walked, but Yoshida flied out to left. Monasterio took stirke three to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Clemens was plunked to start. Lee and Gray struck out swinging before Buxton took strike three to end the inning.

Cole Sands came in to close out the top of the ninth and Abreu grounded out to first to start. Story singled in the hole at short but Duran lined out to center. Narvaez took strike three to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-0.

                                                             Twins win

Jackass of the Night is Sonny Gray. He put the Sox in a 5-0 hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                           Sonny Jackass

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 2 for 4.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4.

Willson Contreras was hit with a pitch before leaving the game.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 1 for 3.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jack Anderson allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its one thing to be a bad team, its another to be toxic. Between the team looking totally checked out, the coaching staff unable to get them to play harder or Duran flipping the people the bird, this is quite an unlikeable team. Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse is under fire for the Sox being consistently blinded by bad pitchers and Sox manager Alex Cora is under fire for benching, starting and pinch hitting guys at random. The problem is poor roster construction with 5 outfielders and the refusal to trade one of them for better personnel. Gray looked like garbage today but he was due for a stinker. A pitcher like Gray will be what Nick Pivetta once was, gotta take the good with the bad. The problem is other starters have to step up and few have to this point. The less said of this disaster, the better. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when Connelly Early (0-0, 2.63 ERA) takes on Woods Richardson of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:40 PM eastern time at Target Field.