The Boston Red Sox have endured their fair share of fluky and frustrating losses this year, but Monday’s 5-4 loss against the Minnesota Twins was especially painful.
Coming off consecutive comeback wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, the Red Sox appeared poised for their third straight win after taking a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth at Target Field. But with only three outs to go, Mother Nature suddenly intervened.
A rain delay halted the game for 90 minutes in the middle of the ninth, sapping Boston’s momentum and allowing the Twins to regroup. When the game resumed, a tired Jordan Hicks came out for his second straight save opportunity after throwing 25 pitches on Sunday.
Hicks didn’t have it, allowing a single and hitting back-to-back batters to load the bases. After getting a force out, he surrendered a game-ending two-run single to Brooks Lee.
The defeat was the Red Sox’s 10th walk-off loss of the season, dropping their record to 14-21 in one-run games. It also cost them a golden opportunity to take over second place in the American League East after the New York Yankees fell to the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in the evening.
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Boston can only wonder how the bottom of the ninth would have played out had the game not been disrupted or if Aroldis Chapman wasn’t injured. Hicks had already warmed up prior to the rain delay, and the lengthy pause may have contributed to his first blown save of the season.
“There’s nothing you can do against Mother Nature,” said Alex Cora after the game.
The Red Sox have now lost four straight series openers since the All-Star Break. They will try to bounce back on Tuesday behind Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.97 ERA), who is looking to get back on track after yielding nine runs and 11 hits in 9 1/3 innings over his last two starts combined.
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