Red Sox, Twins Set for Afternoon Finale at Target Field

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (Interstat) — The Boston Red Sox will look to salvage a game in their series against the Minnesota Twins when the teams conclude a three-game set Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CDT under cloudy skies with a temperature near 62 degrees.

The Red Sox (6-10) have dropped the first two games of the series, including a 13-6 loss Monday and a 6-0 shutout Tuesday. Boston has lost four of its last five games overall.

Minnesota (10-7) has won three straight and will send right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (0-2, 4.91 ERA) to the mound. The Twins’ offense has averaged 8.3 runs per game during the winning streak.

Boston will counter with left-hander Connelly Early (0-0, 3.60 ERA), making his third start of the season. The Red Sox bullpen, a weakness early on, may get a boost from reliever Jovani Morán. Over his last five appearances, Morán has a 2.16 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 10.1 innings, including 2.1 scoreless frames against the Twins on Monday.

A key player for Minnesota is catcher Ryan Jeffers. He is 6 for 14 (.429) with two home runs and seven RBIs over his last four games. He went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs in Monday’s win over Boston.

Despite Boston’s recent struggles and Minnesota’s hot streak, statistical models present a conflicting outlook. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 Twins victory. However, the same outlet’s ELO rating system gives Boston a 55.4% probability to win, and the Red Sox have been installed as pregame favorites with a -1.5 spread. The over/under for total runs is set at 8.

Following the game, the Red Sox return to Fenway Park to begin a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers on Friday. The Twins will remain home to host the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game weekend series.