Major League Baseball

Red Sox-Twins preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:28 p.m. ET

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Tyler Duffey didn't have much success suppressing the majors' most prolific offense Friday night.

The Minnesota Twins are hoping for a different result from returning starter Kyle Gibson in the second contest of their three-game weekend series with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday afternoon.

Duffey was shelled for six runs on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings in Friday's 8-1 loss. It was the eighth loss in the last 11 games for Minnesota (18-42), which had taken two of three games against the Miami Marlins coming in.

Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-5 with an RBI, extending his league-leading hitting streak to 16 games. David Ortiz, who began his career with the Twins and was honored by former teammates and coaches in a pregame ceremony ahead of his impending retirement, went 2-for-5.

"If guys like that get chances, they're a good hitting team," Duffey said. "You've seen them on ESPN all season long."

Xander Bogaerts built on his major league-leading hit total with a 4-for-5 night, launching a three-run homer and driving in four total.

"He's having an unbelievable season," Pedroia said of Bogaerts. "Everything he hits, he's hitting it on the barrel."

Robbie Grossman's eighth-inning groundout plated the lone Twins' run. Max Kepler had Minnesota's only multi-hit night, going 2-for-4.

Boston (35-25) had lost five of seven entering Friday.

Gibson (0-3, 6.10 ERA) will be making his first start since April 22 after going on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. He went 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three minor league rehab starts before being reactivated.

He's had success in the past against the Red Sox, albeit in one career start. Gibson tossed seven two-hit innings and struck out eight in a no-decision against Boston on June 18, 2014.

Hanley Ramirez is the only active Red Sox player with a hit against Gibson (1-for-4, RBI), but it came with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Eduardo Rodriguez takes the hill for his third start back from a patella subluxation in his right knee that sidelined him for Boston's first 51 games.

He's hoping his latest start will look more his first than the second.

The 23-year-old southpaw made his season debut to the tune of a two-run, six-hit performance in a six-inning win at Baltimore on May 31.

His next start wasn't as effective. Rodriguez was charged with five runs on four hits -- all home runs, a career-worst -- and three walks in a 5 2/3-inning loss against Toronto on Sunday.

Rodriguez won his only career start against the Twins, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out seven in his second career start -- and his first at Fenway Park in Boston -- last June 9.

Brian Dozier went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk and a strikeout in the game against Rodriguez. John Ryan Murphy (1-for-8) and Danny Santana (1-for-2) are the only other Minnesota batters with hits off Rodriguez.

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