Twins 2, Red Sox 0
BOSTON -- Trevor May turned in the best start of his career, tying a season high with nine strikeouts and holding the Boston Red Sox to two hits in seven innings to power the Minnesota Twins to a 2-0 win in the second game of Wednesday's day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.
The 25-year-old right-hander had never held an opponent scoreless in 18 career starts entering the game and has now struck out 23 batters in his last three starts. May (4-3) threw 98 pitches -- 70 for strikes -- and snapped a streak of four straight starts with three or more earned runs.
Minnesota (31-21) avoided a doubleheader sweep after losing 6-3 in the afternoon game.
Catcher Chris Hermann went 1-for-3 and drove in a run and shortstop Danny Santana's safety squeeze brought home a run for the Twins, who had five hits in the nightcap.
Left-hander Glen Perkins kept the Red Sox bats quiet in the ninth for his 20th save.
Rick Porcello (4-5) bounced back from two bad outings with a quality start but was still a hard-luck loser for Boston (24-30). The right-hander threw 101 pitches in eight innings, giving up two earned runs and five hits and walking none while striking out five.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia and left fielder Carlos Peguero had the only hits for the Red Sox. Pedroia cooled off after a 4-for-5 game in the afternoon, going 1-for-3. The newly acquired Peguero was 1-for-2. Designated hitter David Ortiz, who doubled twice in the opener, was 0-for-3.
After spending the first game of the twin bill on the bench, Hermann and right fielder Eddie Rosario provided some instant offense for the Twins in their first at-bats in the second.
Rosario singled to center to lead off the inning and stole second, setting the table for Hermann's one-out double off the wall in left that Peguero misplayed on a bounce. Rosario scored from second to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
Hermann moved to third on center fielder Aaron Hicks' single to left and crossed the plate later in the inning on a sacrifice bunt from Santana, making it 2-0.
Peguero gave the Red Sox some life with a two-out single to center in the third that snapped an 0-for-19 spell at the plate and broke up a string of five straight strikeouts in May.
Pedroia lined a double to left, putting the tying runs in scoring position for right fielder Brock Holt, but his 6-3 groundout quelled the potential rally for Boston.
Ortiz didn't seem particularly inspired by the Red Sox's offensive sparks at the end of the third inning. He didn't run out a pop fly to center leading off the fourth, barely jogging halfway down the first base line before heading back to the dugout.
NOTES: Minnesota lost consecutive games for the first time since May 10-12 after the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader. ... The Twins are 11-2 after a loss since the first week of the season. ... Twins 1B Joe Mauer, a pinch hitter in the day game, started the nightcap. RF Torii Hunter moved from right field to DH. C Chris Hermann and RF Eddie Rosario were also inserted into the lineup. ... 3B Pablo Sandoval returned to the Red Sox lineup after sitting out the first game of the twin bill. INF/OF Brock Holt moved from third to right and C Blake Swihart and LF Carlos Peguero entered the lineup. ... Boston announced its acquisition of OF Alejandro De Aza from Baltimore for cash considerations. He will join the team Thursday. ... In a corresponding move, the Red Sox moved RHP Brandon Workman to the 60-day disabled list.