BOSTON (Interstat) — Taj Bradley pitched five innings of three-hit ball and Trevor Larnach went 4 for 5 as the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday evening at Fenway Park. Minnesota jumped ahead with two runs in the first inning. Austin Martin doubled to score Byron Buxton, and Josh Bell followed with a sacrifice fly that brought home Larnach. The Twins added two more in the fifth on a Victor Caratini sacrifice fly and an Orlando Arcia single. Boston got on the board in the fourth when Ceddanne Rafaela doubled in Mickey Gasper. The Red Sox scored once more in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Bradley (5-1) allowed one earned run, struck out seven and walked two over five innings. Taylor Rogers got the final out for his second save. Jovani Morán (0-2) took the loss after allowing two runs in relief. Kendry Rojas tossed three scoreless innings for Minnesota, and Ryan Watson worked two hitless frames for Boston. Attendance was 37,105, and the game lasted 2 hours, 51 minutes. The Twins improved to 25-27, while the Red Sox fell to 22-29.

BOSTON (Interstat) — Taj Bradley pitched five solid innings and the Minnesota Twins capitalized on early scoring opportunities to defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park, gaining a split of the first two games of their three-game series. Bradley (5-1) allowed one run on three hits while striking out five and walking two. Taylor Rogers pitched the ninth inning for his second save, working around a walk and a hit to strand the bases loaded. Minnesota improved to 25-27, while Boston fell to 22-29. The Twins scored two runs in the first inning off Boston starter Brayan Bello. Byron Buxton led off with a line-drive single to center field. Trevor Larnach followed with a single to left, and Austin Martin doubled down the left-field line, scoring Buxton and sending Larnach to third. Josh Bell then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Larnach for a 2-0 lead. Bello settled down after that, retiring seven of the next nine batters he faced. He pitched five innings, giving up eight hits but no earned runs, striking out five. The right-hander was let down by his defense in the fifth inning, when the Twins added two more runs. Larnach opened the fifth with a sharp single to right field. Martin singled to second base, and Bell reached on a fielder’s choice that loaded the bases when first baseman Willson Contreras committed a fielding error. After Kody Clemens flied out to left, Victor Caratini delivered a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Larnach. With runners on second and third, Orlando Arcia singled through the middle off Bello’s glove, scoring Martin to make it 4-0. Boston got on the board in the fourth inning. Mickey Gasper singled leading off, and Willson Contreras followed with a single to third base. Ceddanne Rafaela then ripped a double to right-center field, scoring Gasper. Right fielder Austin Martin’s throw to the relay caught Contreras trying to score, ending the inning at 4-1. The Red Sox mounted a ninth-inning rally against Rogers. Contreras led off with a single to left field. Rafaela walked, and Nick Sogard flied out to right. Masataka Yoshida grounded into a force out at second base, leaving Contreras at third with two outs. Connor Wong walked to load the bases, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa drew a walk that forced in Contreras, trimming the lead to 4-2. Jarren Duran then struck out looking – a call upheld after a Red Sox challenge – to end the game. Kiner-Falefa finished 0 for 3 with the walk and the RBI. Gasper went 1 for 3. Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Duran was 1 for 5 with three strikeouts. For the Twins, Martin had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Larnach collected three singles and a double, scoring twice. Buxton went 1 for 5 with three strikeouts. Boston’s bullpen could not keep the deficit manageable. Reliever Jovani Morán (0-2) took the loss after allowing two earned runs on three hits in one inning, including Arcia’s run-scoring single. The Red Sox offense managed only five hits overall and struck out 11 times. The teams meet again Sunday afternoon in the series finale. Minnesota then travels to Chicago for a four-game series against the White Sox, while Boston stays home to host Atlanta for three games. In the first inning, the Twins wasted no time against Bello. Buxton’s single, Larnach’s single and Martin’s double set the stage, and Bell’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Bello avoided further damage when Kody Clemens grounded out, but the early cushion proved sufficient. Minnesota’s fifth-inning rally was aided by a defensive miscue. After Larnach and Martin singled, Bell’s grounder to first base was misplayed by Contreras, allowing the bases to be loaded. Clemens flied out, but Caratini’s sacrifice fly and Arcia’s single pushed the lead to 4-0. Bello struck out five over his five innings but was unable to escape the fifth unscathed. Boston’s fourth-inning run came after Gasper singled and Contreras singled. Rafaela’s double scored Gasper, but Martin’s strong throw from right field cut down Contreras at the plate, preserving a three-run lead. The Red Sox threatened again in the seventh when they put runners on first and second on an error and a walk, but Andruw Monasterio popped out and Connor Wong struck out to end the inning. Rogers entered in the ninth and faced the heart of Boston’s order. Contreras singled, Rafaela walked and Sogard flied out. Yoshida grounded into a force out, and Wong walked to load the bases for Kiner-Falefa, who walked to force in a run. With the tying runs on base, Duran struck out looking on a borderline pitch that Boston challenged unsuccessfully, giving Rogers his second save. The game drew 37,105 spectators and lasted 2 hours, 51 minutes. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Minnesota 6, Boston 4. Its ELO system gave the Red Sox a 60.90 percent probability to win. Boston was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of six runs went over the over-under line of 8.5.

BOSTON (Interstat) — The Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, two teams hovering near the .500 mark, meet Saturday evening at Fenway Park, with both seeking to build momentum in a tight American League race. Minnesota (23-27) enters following a 4-1 win over Houston on Wednesday, a game in which right-hander Joe Ryan delivered a strong performance: 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 9 strikeouts. Ryan has been a steady force for the Twins’ rotation, posting a 1.40 ERA over his last three outings spanning 18 innings, with 21 strikeouts. His lone stumble came in a brief relief appearance May 3 against Toronto. Overall, the Twins are coming off a series win against the Astros and have won five of their last nine. Boston (22-27) took a 4-3 decision at Kansas City on Wednesday, fueled by left-hander Connelly Early, who went 6.1 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 earned runs with 5 strikeouts. Early has shown flashes of dominance — most notably a 7-inning, 8-strikeout shutout of Tampa Bay on May 8 — but has also been inconsistent, surrendering 5 earned runs in 4 innings against Houston on May 2. Jarren Duran homered and drove in two runs in the win over the Royals, and left-hander Aroldis Chapman earned a hold. The Red Sox enter after taking two of three from Kansas City and three of their last five overall. But they lost Friday’s opener of this series to Minnesota, 6-0, as the Twins’ offense broke out. That result extended Minnesota’s edge in the season series: the Twins have won three of four meetings, including a 13-6 win April 13 in Minneapolis. Saturday’s forecast calls for 61 degrees and clouds. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-4 Twins victory. Minnesota heads to Chicago for a four-game set with the White Sox after this series wraps Sunday. Boston will host Atlanta for three games starting Tuesday before traveling to Cleveland. Both clubs are desperate to push above .500 and gain ground in their respective division races.