MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — A relentless early offensive barrage by the Minnesota Twins overwhelmed the Boston Red Sox on Monday night at Target Field, as the home team cruised to a 13-6 victory in the opener of a three-game series.

The Twins sent 22 batters to the plate in the first two innings, scoring 11 runs on nine hits and three walks to chase Boston starter Garrett Crochet before he could record an out in the second. The outburst powered Minnesota to its seventh win in eight games, improving its record to 10-7. Boston fell to 6-10.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the second inning, transforming a competitive contest into a rout. Already leading 4-0 after a first inning fueled by a two-run error by Boston shortstop Trevor Story, the Twins batted around in the second. They loaded the bases with no outs before Ryan Jeffers drove in a run with a single. Josh Bell followed with a two-run double, and Victor Caratini then delivered the decisive blow, a three-run homer to left field that ended Crochet’s night and extended the lead to 10-0. Before the inning was over, Ryan Kreidler added a solo shot off reliever Tyler Samaniego to cap the seven-run frame.

Jeffers, named the top star for Minnesota, continued his hot hitting, going 3 for 4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. Over his last five games, the catcher is 8 for 16 with three homers and eight RBIs. Caratini also drove in three runs with his homer.

Boston’s offense, which managed 10 hits, could only chip away at the massive deficit. Jarren Duran provided the Red Sox’s biggest swing with a two-run homer in the third inning off Twins starter Bailey Ober. Boston added a single run in the sixth and two more in the seventh, but never seriously threatened.

Ober (2-0) earned the win, navigating six innings while allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked one. The Twins bullpen, led by two scoreless innings from Garrett Acton, sealed the victory.

Crochet (2-2) took the loss for Boston, charged with 10 runs, nine earned, on seven hits and three walks in just one-plus inning of work. The Red Sox bullpen provided some stability after the early damage, with Jovani Morán throwing 2 1/3 hitless innings and Samaniego contributing two scoreless frames.

Beyond Jeffers and Caratini, Byron Buxton homered and scored twice for Minnesota. For Boston, Duran finished with two RBIs, while Caleb Durbin and Roman Anthony each had two hits and scored twice.

The game time was 2 hours, 33 minutes, with an announced attendance of 14,535 at Target Field. The teams will meet again Tuesday night for the second game of the series.

The result defied pregame projections, as Boston had been installed as a -1.5 favorite by oddsmakers and statistical models gave the Red Sox a 56.6% probability of winning. The combined 19 runs also went under the posted over/under line of 7.5.