Romy Gonzalez hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs to help the Boston Red Sox sweep a doubleheader against the visiting Minnesota Twins with a 9-3 victory in Game 2 on Sunday.
Gonzalez homered against Minnesota reliever Cole Irvin to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning. It was his sixth home run of the season. He also hit a sacrifice fly in Boston’s sixth-run sixth.
Minnesota starting pitcher Zebby Matthews was pulled after he surrendered a double to Ceddanne Rafaela with two outs in the fifth and the Twins leading 2-0. Irvin (6-6) replaced Matthews and walked Jarren Duran before giving up the three-run home run to Gonzalez. Matthews allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Kutter Crawford (9-15) limited the Twins to three runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and didn’t issue any walks. It was his first win since Aug. 13.
Minnesota (81-75) now trails the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers by one game for the American League’s third wild-card spot.
It was a scoreless game until the top of the fifth, when the Twins took a 2-0 lead on four consecutive two-out singles. Byron Buxton’s RBI single drove in Kyle Farmer to open the scoring, and Trevor Larnach followed with another single that scored Christian Vazquez and made it 2-0.
After Gonzalez homered, the Red Sox (78-78) extended their lead to 9-2 lead in the sixth. Nick Sogard scored when Rafaela was hit by a Cole Sands pitch with the bases loaded. Duran followed with a two-run double that pushed the lead to 6-2. Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Rafaela to score before Masataka Yoshida and Connor Wong produced RBI singles that gave Boston a seven-run lead.
Minnesota capped the scoring in the eighth when Willi Castro drew a bases-loaded walk that forced home Larnach.
The victory was Boston’s third in six tries against Minnesota this season. The Red Sox prevailed 8-1 in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.