MINNEAPOLIS -- From batting-practice pitching to a lack of hits late in the game to wince-worthy gaffes in the field, the Minnesota Twins sunk a little lower in a lost-cause season.
Xander Bogaerts tacked four more hits on his majors-most total, including a two-run homer for the Boston Red Sox in a 15-4 victory over the Twins on Saturday.
The highest-scoring team in the majors managed to post a season high in runs, with five apiece in the eighth and ninth innings against the league-worst Twins.
"It was a good game up to that point," manager Paul Molitor said, lamenting a troubling pattern of defensive mistakes.
Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia dropped a routine catch at the warning track in the eighth, right before the home run by Bogaerts. Reliever Buddy Boshers overthrew an easy two-out comebacker to the mound for another error that inning, allowing David Ortiz to score before a two-run single by Sandy Leon.
"After I dropped the ball, the game took a whole different direction," Arcia said. "I know that, and that's my fault."
Bogaerts followed a 4-for-5, four-RBI night on Friday with this 4-for-5, four-run, three-RBI afternoon. He homered for the second straight day and raised his AL-best batting average to .358.
"His name has come up a lot," Molitor said.
The 23-year-old shortstop hustled to score the go-ahead run in the sixth, too, with a heads-up play that left the Twins bewildered. Bogaerts led off with a single, then beat a relay after second baseman Brian Dozier bobbled a ground ball by Ortiz. Ortiz was thrown out at first, but Bogaerts never stopped running and slid safely into third after the infield shift for Ortiz left that base uncovered. Bogaerts later scored on a sacrifice fly to put the Red Sox up 5-4.
Twins starter Kyle Gibson (0-4) took the blame for not heading over to third, but by the end of a sweltering game that crawled to completion in 3 hours, 45 minutes, that run hardly mattered.
"It's a heads-up play by him," Gibson said. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make the same heads-up play."
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a three-run homer in the first, Leon went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and Ortiz had three more hits against his former team. Mookie Betts and Chris Young drove in two runs each.
Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning off Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, but the Twins managed only one hit against five relievers over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Heath Hembree (3-0) was the first one, retiring Byung Ho Park on an infield popup to finish the fifth with two runners on base and the score 4-all.
Rodriguez tied his career high with four walks, in his shortest of three starts since returning from the disabled list, but the Twins hardly took advantage. The Red Sox have outscored them 365-230 this season, including 23-5 in this series.
GIBSON NOT SO GREAT
Gibson pitched for the first time since April 22, returning from the disabled list after shoulder and back problems. This was an awfully tough way to come back.
"I worked really hard last year and this offseason to limit the big innings," said Gibson, whose ERA rose to 6.49. "Physically, I felt good. Was able to settle down and put up some zeros there until the sixth inning and some funky stuff started happening."
TRAINER'S ROOM
With Twins RHP Phil Hughes likely out at least until September with a cracked bone in his left leg, he'll have friend Glen Perkins to keep him company during the rehab process. Perkins, the three-time All-Star closer who hasn't pitched since April 10 because of shoulder trouble, had to cut short early a bullpen session on Friday due to discomfort. The LHP is headed for a second medical opinion.
UP NEXT
RHP Rick Porcello (7-2, 4.04 ERA) will take the mound on Sunday for the Red Sox, his 26th career start against the Twins for the most against any opponent. Twins rookie RHP Pat Dean (1-2, 4.75 ERA) will pitch the series finale, making his fifth start. He's coming off his shortest one, 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday against Miami.
