Porcello, Red Sox blank Twins

Porcello, Red Sox blank Twins
Porcello, Red Sox blank Twins

J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts each went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Rick Porcello threw seven shutout innings to outduel Jose Berrios and lead the Boston Red Sox to a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night in Minneapolis.

It was a season-high sixth straight victory for Boston which also moved six games above .500 for the first time this season.

Porcello (5-6) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight to pick up his first road victory in four decisions. Ryan Brasier pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his seventh save.

Berrios (8-3) gave up one run on five hits over eight innings, tying his-season high with 10 strikeouts while falling to 0-3 in his career against the Red Sox. C.J. Cron had two of Minnesota's five hits.

Boston opened the game with three straight hits to take a 1-0 lead. Mookie Betts led off with a single and advanced to third when Andrew Benintendi lined a single off the wall in right but was thrown out by Marwin Gonzalez while trying to stretch it into a double. Martinez then singled to left to drive in Betts.

Berrios settled down after that, retiring the next 19 in a row including eight by strikeout, before Bogaerts hit a soft single to left with two out in the seventh inning. Berrios then got Brock Holt to ground out to end the inning.

Porcello gave up a line double to the fence in left-center to Nelson Cruz with two out in the first and then retired 10 straight including a stretch that he struck out five in a row. That streak was ended when Cron's comebacker deflected off Porcello's foot for an infield hit.

Cron missed tying it with one out in the seventh when he doubled 402-feet off the top of the scoreboard in right-center, about five feet shy of a home run. Gonzalez then flied to the track in left and Miguel Sano walked but Porcello got out of the jam by getting Jason Castro to fly out.

Boston added an insurance run in the ninth off reliever Blake Parker when Martinez doubled down the left field line and scored one out later on a line drive double to center by Bogaerts.

Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco singled in the sixth inning to extend his consecutive games on-base streak to 31, tying the major league high for the season.

--Field Level Media

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