Following a series-opening win, the Boston Red Sox will look to continue a strong start to their six-game homestand when they face the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Sox had 13 hits — including three from both Rafael Devers (go-ahead, two-RBI single) and David Hamilton — in a 6-1 victory over Minnesota on Friday.
They also received a strong 6 2/3-inning start from Brayan Bello in the series opener, which followed heartbreaking losses to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and Thursday to conclude their recent road trip.
However, Friday’s victory was dampened by the loss of first baseman Triston Casas due to what Boston manager Alex Cora called a “significant knee injury.”
Casas beat out a check-swing tapper that Twins pitcher Joe Ryan misplayed for an error in the bottom of the second. After he stepped hard on top of the first base bag, Casas’ left foot hit the foot of Minnesota first baseman Ty France, and he fell hard on his left knee. Casas was taken off the field on a stretcher and was transported to a hospital for further evaluation. The severity of his injury has yet to be announced.
“It seemed like he was in shock, to be honest with you,” Cora said of Casas, who has three homers, 11 RBIs and a .182 batting average in 29 games this season. “He said right away that he didn’t feel it. It’s tough. He works so hard, and we want him on the field.”
Teammate Alex Bregman — who hit a first-inning home run, before the Casas injury — echoed those sentiments.
“Horrible. Obviously we’re all thinking about him and hoping for the best,” Bregman said. “We’re a big family in here that comes to the ballpark every day together and to see one of your guys go down like that, it’s really tough.”
Bello worked Boston’s sixth consecutive quality start on Friday, but Walker Buehler being sidelined (right shoulder bursitis) leaves a hole in the rotation that Hunter Dobbins (2-0, 2.45 ERA) will temporarily fill on Saturday.
“We don’t think (Buehler’s injury is) that serious,” Cora said. “Miss two starts and hopefully be back as soon as the days are over.”
Dobbins, a 25-year-old right-hander, was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Friday for his third career major league start. He last pitched for Boston on April 18, working six innings of two-run ball (one earned run) with six strikeouts in a 10-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Dobbins has yet to face the Minnesota in his young career.
The Twins are 6-5 in their last 11 games, but the Friday loss marked their fourth straight after they had won four games in a row. They are 4-14 on the road this season.
“We have a lot of guys on the field right now that are battling their butts off,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It hasn’t connected well for us to score runs over the last four games. You’re always going to end up talking about the little things when you’re fighting to score and win a one-run game.”
The Twins held opponents to four or fewer runs in 10 straight games prior to Friday but have just seven runs in the last four games. A Ryan Jeffers solo homer marked the only offense in the series opener.
Like Joe Ryan before him in the Minnesota rotation, Bailey Ober (3-1, 4.13 ERA) will look to continue a strong individual stretch and bank a fourth consecutive victory on Saturday.
After allowing eight runs in his season debut, the 29-year-old has allowed just one in four of his last five starts. Ober’s run of quality outings continued with a 7 2/3-inning outing Monday in Cleveland. He gave up one run and eight hits in an 11-1 victory.
“It helps to have a lead so I can just attack … and not necessarily have to nibble,” Ober said. “That plays a bit part of it, allows me to pitch longer in the game, especially if I’m able to mix speeds early in the counts so they’re going to swing.”
Ober has made three career starts against Boston. Though he is 0-2, he has allowed just three earned runs and struck out 14 in 17 innings.
–Field Level Media
