Mauer's 3-Run HR Lifts Twins Past Red Sox 6-4
BOSTON (AP) — Joe Mauer hit a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 6-4 comeback win over the struggling Boston Red Sox on Saturday night.
Ben Revere had three singles and extended his hitting streak to a career-best 18 games for Minnesota, which has won the first three games of a four-game series. The Twins have the AL's second-worst record.
Pedro Ciriaco hit a pinch-hit homer for the first of his career, breaking an eighth-inning tie and giving the Red Sox the lead before Mauer hit a 3-2 pitch into the Green Monster seats off Alfredo Aceves (2-7).
Mike Aviles had a solo homer and Carl Crawford an RBI double for Boston, which has lost four straight.
Ciriaco, who had consecutive game-winning hits in New York against the Yankees on July 28 and 29, hit a 1-0 pitch from Glen Perkins into the seats above the Green Monster after the Twins tied the game in the top of the inning.
Aceves entered with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth, allowing Justin Morneau's game-tying sacrifice fly before getting the next two batters.
In the ninth, Jamey Carroll, who went 4 for 4 with a game-winning single and reached base five times in Friday's win, had an RBI single. Revere had a two-out single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Mauer's homer.
Alex Burnett (4-3) got one out in the eighth for the win. Jared Burton worked the ninth for his fifth save.
When Boston pinch hitter Will Middlebrooks popped out for the final out loud boos rained down from the stands.
Ciriaco was serenaded with chants of "Pedro! Pedro!" after hitting his homer and came out for a curtain call. Cody Ross' RBI single off Burnett made it 4-2.
Boston starter Clay Buchholz gave up one unearned run over seven innings despite three errors — two by himself, allowing seven hits and striking out three.
Minnesota starter Cole De Vries, making his 10th major league start, allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings.
Trailing by one in the eighth, the Twins loaded the bases against Andrew Miller on two walks and an infield hit before Aceves entered the game.
The Red Sox jumped ahead 1-0 in the first when Ryan Kalish drew a leadoff walk and scored on Crawford's double off the left-field wall.
Aviles homered into the last row of Green Monster seats for his career-best 11th, making it 2-0 in the second.
After Aviles' one-out homer, De Vries held Boston without a hit until Adrian Gonzalez's two-out single in the sixth.
The Twins turned a pair of infield hits and two throwing errors into a run in the fifth. Carroll had an infield hit to third. He advanced on Buchholz's errant pickoff attempt, the right-hander's second of the game.
Revere then hit a dribbler in front of the plate and catcher Kelly Shoppach threw to the bag as Revere was reaching first, with the ball caroming away for an error. Carroll came racing home from third as the ball rolled into foul territory to cut the score to 2-1. Revere was credited with an infield hit, extending his hitting streak.
De Vries is up with the Twins for the third time this season from Triple-A Rochester.
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