Twins HR In 10th Doesn't Hold, Boston Wins 2-1
BOSTON (AP) — The elation in the Minnesota dugout after Chris Parmelee broke a scoreless tie on a solo homer in the 10th inning didn't last long.
Seemingly on the verge of ending a four-game losing streak, the Twins instead lost their fifth in a row when Boston's David Ortiz and Mike Napoli delivered back-to-back homers off Casey Fien and the Red Sox won it 2-1 Wednesday.
"We finally break through and get a run, unfortunately Casey made a couple of bad pitches and they end up putting both in the seats," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Not a single, not a double, but homers. A tough way to lose it."
Tough, but fitting in a series when Minnesota pitched well but Boston put together just enough offense to win. The Twins scored just two runs on 11 hits in the series.
Boston's John Lackey and Minnesota's Kyle Gibson kept up the trend with strong pitching performances. Lackey gave up three singles over nine innings, striking out nine and walking one. He's allowed three or fewer runs in six straight starts, and 12th of 15 this season.
Gibson pitched seven shutout innings for the third consecutive start, allowing only one hit while striking out eight and not walking a batter. The bullpen preserved the shutout and Parmelee broke the tie with a shot to right off Boston closer Koji Uehara (2-1).
It was up to Fien (3-4), who made a pair of mistakes against Ortiz and Napoli.
"We got a run. I need to do my job and get three outs right there," Fien said.
Ortiz hit his drive down the right-field line and pumped his fist toward the Boston dugout as he headed toward first base. Napoli followed by driving an 0-2 pitch into the center-field bleachers.
"It's the worst feeling in the world," Fien said. "When you've got a pitching staff that threw like that and then they ask me to come up big and do my part. You come out with the L. It's not a good feeling."
Parmelee also had two singles as Minnesota finished a 3-6 road trip.
Gibson retired the first 14 batters before Daniel Nava lined a double near the base of the right-field wall that bounced in Boston's bullpen for a ground-rule double.
Dustin Pedroia had his streak of reaching in every career start against the Twins snapped at 30 after he went 0 for 4.
NOTES: Red Sox pitcher Brandon Workman lost an appeal of his six-game suspension for throwing near the head of Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria on May 30, and the right-hander began serving it Wednesday. ... RHP Yohan Pino makes his major league debut, facing Chicago's Jose Quintana (3-7, 3.98 ERA) Thursday as the Twins open a four- game series at home against the White Sox. ... Jake Peavy (1-4, 4.53 ERA) goes for Boston Thursday against Oakland's Scott Kazmir (8-2, 2.05) as the Red Sox begin a 10-game road trip.
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