Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Eduardo Nunez greeted him by flying out to the right field warning track. Robbie Grossman singled to center but Joe Mauer whiffed. The alert Sandy Leon gunned down Grossman trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox got one of their only hits off Gibson 2 pitches into the top of the first when Mr. Mookie Betts swatted a solo home run into the Monster Seats to give the Sox the quick lead. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging but the ball got away so he made it to first. Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single but David Ortiz banged into a double play to kill the rally. Hanley Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.
The Twins wasted no time tying in the game in the top of the second as Brian Dozier hit a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Miguel Sano whiffed but Max Kepler singled to center. Kepler was erased on the force by Eduardo Escobar but Juan Centeno whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start. Travis Shaw and Sandy Leon both flied out to right to end the inning.
Rodriguez settled down in the top of the third as Byron Buxton whiffed to start. Nunez grounded out to third before Grossman flied out to center to end the inning. Gibson began to dominate the bottom of the third as Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.
Rodriguez struck out Mauer to begin the top of the fourth but Dozier doubled to....BUT WAIT! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Dozier was out at second and he was indeed. Sano singled to right but Kepler looked at strike three to end the inning. Bogaerts whiffed to open the bottom of the fourth before Ortiz grounded out to third. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.
All of a sudden Mookie Betts keeled over grabbing his hamstring and had to be hauled off in an ambulance headed to Mass General's ICU. Michael Martinez took over in right to begin the top of the fifth. Escobar lined out to center before Rodriguez snared a liner off the bat of Centeno. Buxton beat out an infield single to third but Nunez whiffed to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ flied out to right, Shaw whiffed and Leon popped up to third to end the inning.
The Twins struck in the top of the sixth although Grossman whiffed to start. Mauer walked and that was it for Rodriguez. The lefty lasted just 5 1/3 innings before Farrell pulled the plug although he didn't pitch bad. Heath Hembree came in and poured gas on the fire by walking Dozier and allowing an rbi double to Sano to put Minnesota on top. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout and chased Hembree away, kicking dirt at him as Robbie Ross Jr was summoned. Kepler whiffed and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 2-1.
The Sox tried to rally when Holt walked to begin the bottom of the sixth but was forced at second by Martinez. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.
Ross dominated the top of the seventh although Centeno singled to center to begin. Buxton popped up a bunt back to Ross and Nunez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gibson cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Bogaerts flied out to center, Ortiz lined out to center and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.
Junichi Tazawa came in for the top of the eighth and Grossman lined out to right to begin. Mauer grounded out to second but Dozier and Sano stroked back to back singles. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning. Eddie Rosario took over for Grossman in left as JBJ whiffed to open the bottom of the eighth. Shaw grounded out to second but Leon reached when Escobar dropped a pop up for an error. The Sox failed to capitalize as Holt grounded out to short to end the inning. Gibson had hurled 8 innings of 1 run ball, how???
Tommy Layne came in for the top of the ninth and Escobar grounded out to third to begin. Centeno was snuffed out on a bunt attempt before Buxton grounded out to third to end the inning. Brandon Kintzler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but the Sox refused to go quietly. Martinez and Pedroia stroked back to back singles before Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out. The normally reliable Ortiz suddenly banged into a double play to kill any hope. Ramirez lined out to right to end the game. The Twins had won it 2-1.
Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 including banging into two double plays in key spots, once in the first and once in the ninth.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a solo home run before leaving.
Michael Martinez was 1 for 2.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3.
Heath Hembree allowed a walk and an rbi double.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.
Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked.
Eduardo Rodriguez took the loss but managed to toss 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball, normally that would be good enough for a win. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 8
Final Thoughts:
Have a day Kyle Gibson, the normally .500 pitcher pitched the game of his life at Fenway and had to be because Rodriguez kept pace. That was a beautiful and unlikely pitcher's duel but the wrong team came out on top. The big guns such as Ramirez and Ortiz didn't do much and the loss of Betts didn't help either. Hopefully Mookie just pulled a hammy but you never know. Games like this happen so there's no need to panic but the Sox can't afford to lose ground with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles neck and neck with the Sox in the AL East race. The less said about this offensive ineptitude the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-40, 0.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action at home against the Twins. David Price goes for the Sox up against Ricky Nolasco at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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