The Minnesota Twins fell 4-2 to the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park on Thursday in spring training play. Despite Kody Clemens's 2-for-4 with a triple effort at the plate, the Twins could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Mick Abel turned in a solid outing, working 4.2 innings of 2-run ball with six strikeouts. The Sox out-hit the Twins 9-6 on the day. The Twins will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.
Key Performers
Kody Clemens was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple. The ability to drive the ball into the gaps stood out. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Twins offense.
Matt Wallner also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double, David Bañuelos chipped in, going 1-for-1, and Alan Roden added to the attack, going 1-for-3. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, Ceddanne Rafaela led the Sox offense with a 1-for-2 with two RBI day. Willson Contreras also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI. Trevor Story added a 1-for-4 with an RBI effort as well. The Sox offense proved to be too much for the Twins pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Mick Abel took the loss after pitching effectively, working 4.2 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with six strikeouts. He threw 79 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 3.1 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out four. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations. Tayron Guerrero recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Matt Bowman stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.
How It Happened
Sox got on the board first with two runs in the fourth inning. Sox plated a run in the sixth. Sox added a run in the seventh. The Twins responded with a run in the eighth. The Twins pushed across a run in the ninth. The Sox were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Sox out-hit the Twins 9-6, with 5 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 9,635 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Twins will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.