Sox Lose 8-0

[photogallerylink id=16468 align=right]Francisco Liriano threw seven shutout innings for Minnesota, and the Twins took the first series at Target Field with an 8-0 victory over the sloppy Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

Every Twins starter had a hit except batting champ Joe Mauer. Denard Span turned two of Tim Wakefield's knuckleballs into RBI doubles and Michael Cuddyer homered and drove in three runs.

Liriano (1-0) scattered four hits and walked two while striking out eight, after a so-so performance in his first start.

The left-hander worked out of one-out, two-on trouble in the first two frames and reached back for one of those trademark sliders to strike out Jeremy Hermida and end the seventh with one on.

Wakefield (0-1) is 14-6 lifetime against the Twins, including a 7-4 mark at the Metrodome, where the float on his knuckler often proved more baffling than usual. He didn't fool very many batters in this one, giving up 10 hits and six runs in 5 1-3 innings.

Minnesota's new ballpark is quite the attraction, but a bounce-back season from Liriano might make Twins fans almost as excited. After a dominant rookie season in 2006, an elbow injury and a loss of confidence, he hasn't been the same since.

While going 5-13 with a 5.80 ERA last year, Liriano gave up at least one run in each of his 24 starts. Boston, meanwhile, had been averaging more than five runs a game this season.

It was that kind of afternoon for the Red Sox, who left a total of five runners in scoring position and made three errors in the field - plus another flub that let the Twins score in the sixth.

J.J. Hardy reached on a bad throw by third baseman Adrian Beltre, and Span followed a single by Nick Punto with a double - and possible triple - into the corner in right.

Punto slipped trying to hold up at third, but Span had his head down rounding second. Catcher Victor Martinez's throw wasn't in time to get Span retreating, while Punto came home anyway.

Though summer heat and humidity could bring a different effect on the trajectory of balls hit at Target Field and the wind currents appear unpredictable, it will take a lot of muscle to hit one out to center field, between 403 and 411 feet away from the plate.

Martinez and Kevin Youkilis got good wood on Liriano in consecutive flies in the third, but Span didn't even make it to the warning track to catch them.

Down the lines, though, the home run distances are inviting.

Cuddyer's drive in the seventh didn't look like much of a blast but just kept sailing on left fielder Jeremy Hermida and cleared the wall for an 8-0 lead.

NOTES: Twins RH Pat Neshek, who threw two scoreless relief innings in Wednesday's game, has a sore flexor tendon in the middle finger of his throwing hand. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Neshek wouldn't have pitched anyway, but the sidearmer will be re-evaluated before Friday's game to determine his availability. ... Mike Lowell was the DH for Boston in place of slumping David Ortiz. Manager Terry Francona said that was because of the matchup with Liriano. ... Rookie Drew Butera will back up Mauer behind the plate indefinitely. Gardenhire said there's no rush to bring Jose Morales back after right wrist surgery. "We look at catch-and-throw guys for our backup catcher. He can hit. We know that. He's still got to be able to do some of the other thing, catch and throw. He calls a good game, but he's got to be able to throw somebody out."

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Click here for copyright permissions!

In:
• Francisco Liriano
• Boston Red Sox