MINNEAPOLIS — Down by two runs, the Red Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday afternoon against the hottest team in baseball.
Rafael Devers is making $29.5 million this season to drill a three-run double into the gap in such situations.
“The big boy with two outs? We’ll take that chance,” manager Alex Cora said.
Twins reliever Steven Okert fell behind in the count, seemingly content to minimize the damage by walking Devers.
But he spotted a slider in the bottom part of the plate for a called second strike then went to the same spot with the same pitch. Devers swung and missed and slammed his bat in the dirt.
Advertisement
“Huge pitch against one of the best hitters in the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said after his team’s 3-1 victory.
The Twins have won 12 consecutive games because of moments like that. The only longer win streak in team history was a 15-game run in 1991.
Devers offered no excuses, saying Okert threw a good pitch that he missed.
“That’s part of the game, of course,” he said via a translator. “Very good sliders, he struck me out. My plan up there was to make good contact and hit the ball hard. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. Today I lost.”
Devers came into the game hitting .286 with a lofty 1.016 OPS with runners in scoring position. But he was 0 for 2 on Saturday.
Devers isn’t alone. The 18-16 Sox have lost three consecutive games for the first time since dropping four in a row from April 9-12. They have scored three runs in those games, going 16 for 93 (.172) and striking out 36 times.
With runners in scoring position, the Sox are 2 for 17 in the last three games.
Advertisement
After his group interview broke up, Devers pointed out that the Sox have made a number of personnel changes in the last week that may have contributed to their mini losing streak.
He didn’t give names. But demoting Bobby Dalbec, Pablo Reyes, and Enmanuel Valdez in favor of Garrett Cooper, Vaughn Grissom, and Dominic Smith only made sense.
Beyond that, the Sox did not lack for opportunities on Saturday. Pablo López (3-2) and four relievers allowed eight hits and walked three. The Sox left eight runners on base.
On what was a bullpen day for the Sox, five relievers gave them a chance to win. But their only run support came in the first inning when Tyler O’Neill doubled with two outs and scored on a single by Wilyer Abreu.
“We didn’t do much,” said Cora, who noted the Sox hitters have been overmatched by fastballs the last two games. “We’ve been in-between.”
The top of the seventh inning was full of twists and turns.
Smith led off with a line drive to right field that thumped into the wall adjacent to the foul pole. He took a turn at first base and made a late decision to head for second. The throw from Max Kepler beat him by a week and half.
But Cooper drew a walk and went to third when Ceddanne Rafaela singled. Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder then determinedly worked a walk off Okert, seeing eight pitches to keep the inning going.
Advertisement
With the crowd of 23,587 at Target Field standing, Devers whiffed.
Some of the fans held up sausages, paying homage to a package of wrapped pork product that the Twins jokingly believe has brought them luck.
The “Home Run Sausage” is featured on T-shirts the players and coaches are wearing.
Cooper Criswell is scheduled to start the series finale Sunday afternoon against Joe Ryan.
Criswell went five shutout innings in each of his last two starts.
Ryan faced the Sox twice last season and allowed three runs over 15 innings, winning both games. The Sox then head to Atlanta for two games against the Braves starting Tuesday.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.