The Boston Red Sox went into Monday’s game with the Minnesota Twins hoping to ruin the party on the opening of Target Field. Instead, they ran into an old farmhand in Carl Pavano who shut them down.
Pavano allowed one run on four hits in six innings to help the Twins to a 5-2 win over the Red Sox in front of 38,145 and a nationally televised audience at their new ballpark.
After winning their last two games to get back to .500, the Red Sox fall to 3-4 while the Twins improve to 6-2 on the young season.
Jon Lester’s early season struggles continued. In his previous career March/April starts, Lester was 2-4 with a 4.94 ERA.
He struggled with his command as he threw 58 pitches in the first two innings and ended up throwing 107, 58 for strikes, in five innings of work. Lester allowed four runs on nine hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
Scott Atchison allowed the first Target Field home run to Jason Kubel and gave up one other hit with a walk and a strikeout in two innings of work. The other Scott, Schoeneweis, had a hit and a strikeout in one inning of work.
Playing without the injured Jacoby Ellsbury, Terry Francona went with Marco Scutaro at the top of the lineup and he responded with two hits. However, he got caught stealing in the 1st inning just before Dustin Pedroia’s double. Pedroia did knock in a run with a sac fly in the 8th.
Despite hitting a double that probably should have been caught and knocking in a run, David Ortiz continues to struggle at the plate as he struck out twice. Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltre and Jeremy Hermida all added hits as well in the losing cause.
After a walk and a hit to Denard Span and Orlando Hudson to start the home half of the first, Lester got Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. But Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel each had singles to put the Twins out front 2-0. They added a run in the 2nd when Mauer’s double brought in Nick Punto.
Back-to-back doubles in the 4th by Youk and Big Papi made it 3-1 but Mauer’s RBI infield single in the bottom half made it 4-1.
Another tough outing for Lester to start the season and it didn’t help that Pavano pretty much silenced the bats.
The Red Sox and Twins enjoy a day off on Tuesday but get back to it on Wednesday afternoon at 1:10 p.m. John Lackey gets the ball for the Red Sox and he’ll be opposed by Kevin Slowey.
