Twins get past Red Sox in 10
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Aaron Hicks' RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning sent Minnesota past Boston by a 4-3 count in Thursday's rubber match of a three-game series.
Kurt Suzuki began the rally against Andrew Miller (1-2) with a one-out double. After Chris Parmelee fanned, Hicks' liner to left fell in to give Suzuki enough time to beat the throw to the plate.
"(Miller) felt like he could beat (Hicks) with a fastball in and (Hicks) fists one into left field for the game-winner," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of the deciding play.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Parmelee hit an early two-run homer and Brian Dozier knocked in the other run for the Twins, winners in four of their last six. Brian Duensing (1-1) tossed a scoreless top of the 10th, after closer Glen Perkins allowed two runs in the ninth.
"To be able to come up clutch for my team like that, it definitely feels good," Hicks said.
Will Middlebrooks delivered the game-tying single and Mike Carp also drove in a run for the Red Sox, who fell to 5-8 in series-ending contests this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Boston starter Clay Buchholz was in trouble from the start. In the second, Suzuki hit a one-out single and scored when Parmelee launched a ball over the high wall in right. Hicks followed with a walk, Eduardo Escobar singled to put runners on the corners and Dozier's fly to right made it 3-0.
The Red Sox got one back in the fourth, as Xander Bogaerts hit a leadoff single, went to third on Jonny Gomes' two-out base hit and scored on Carp's infield hit.
Buchholz ended up allowing 10 hits and three runs with three walks and six strikeouts over six innings, while Twins counterpart Phil Hughes was on the hook for just a run on five hits while fanning eight in six frames.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the home sixth, Minnesota got a brief reprieve when replay determined that Mauer, who was intentionally walked, was not picked off first as video determined that Sox first baseman Mike Napoli missed his swipe tag. Trevor Plouffe, however, fanned looking to end the inning.
Boston got to Perkins in the ninth. David Ortiz led off with a hit, Gomes and Carp added one-out singles to load the bases, and after David Ross fanned for the second out, Middlebrooks dumped a hit to right which plated two runs.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Suzuki and Escobar both finished with a game-high three hits ... Both clubs are in action Friday, as Minnesota continues its residency against Seattle, and Boston returns home to face Detroit.