Recap - Porcello dominates Twins in 2-0 Red Sox win

Jim Monaghan
Content Coordinator

Riding a five-game winning streak, and coming off a three-game sweep of the hapless Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox headed into Minnesota to face the team with the best winning percentage in the American League.

Photo courtesy of USA Today
It was a chance for Boston to send a message...to make a statement.

Following Rick Porcello's dominant performance Monday night at Target Field, consider the message sent.

Porcello (pictured) struck out eight Twins over seven shutout innings, as the Red Sox beat Minnesota 2-0 in the opener of their three-game set.

After a first-inning, two-out double, Porcello was perfect until giving up a lead off single in the fifth. Colten Brewer and Ryan Brasier each supplied a scoreless inning to nail down the win.

Red Sox assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister said after the game that it was his favorite game of the year to watch from a pitching perspective.  "It just felt like it was tense the whole time. It just had this drama to it.  It was 2 good teams.  They’ve been good all year and we’re hot right now.  It was a fun game to watch.”

J.D. Martinez gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with an RBI single that scored Mookie Betts. Xander Bogaerts delivered an insurance run in the ninth with a double that brought in Martinez.

David Price will take the mound Tuesday night in Minnesota against Michael Pineda as the Red Sox look for their seventh straight win.

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