Twins 6, Red Sox 0: Mick Abel Shines, Byron Buxton Mashes for Another Twins Victory

Box Score
SP: Mick Abel 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (90 pitches, 64 strikes (71%)
Home Runs: Byron Buxton 2 (2, 3), Brooks Lee (3)
Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Abel (0.27), Buxton (0.19), Luke Keaschall (0.10)

Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) 

The Twins looked to continue their winning ways against an old friend, as non-lefty Sonny Gray returned again to Target Field. Gray was coming off of a dominant 6.1 scoreless inning performance against a salty Milwaukee offense. Meanwhile, his counterpart Mick Abel finally found his footing during his last start, going six scoreless against the Tigers in his last home start. 

Twins Offense Stays Unwelcoming
Gray might have come into the game on a roll, but he encountered an even larger steamroller called the Twins lineup. Minnesota has averaged over nine runs a game in their latest three-game winning streak, and tonight it was Byron Buxton who got started the scoreboard tallying with his speed and power. In the bottom of the first inning, Buxton led off the game with a single up the middle, and then immediately advanced to second on a Gray balk. Trevor Larnach got called out on strikes after the Red Sox won an ABS challenge, but Luke Keaschall blooped a single to center to advance Buxton to third. Only, Byron didn't stop there! With the ball already reaching the infield, Buxton got the green light and he got called out at the plate. This call was also challenged, and this time the Twins were celebrating an overturned call and a 1-0 lead.

Kody Clemens got on in the bottom of the second and worked his way around to third base but got stranded there. Buxton led off the bottom of the third, and he didn't get stranded anywhere. 2-0 Twins.

The Twins kept the pressure on, eventually loading the bases in the third before stranding more runners in scoring position. Before Twins fans could fear reprecussions from the missed opportunities, Brooks Lee led off the bottom of the fourth, and for the sixth game in a row he drove in a run and for the third time in this recent streak that run was himself. 3-0 Twins.

It's important to note how well Mick Abel was pitching, but the Twins wouldn't stop scoring runs. Tristan Gray followed up Lee with a hard single and Buxton found some space on the left side of the diamond to put runners at first and second with still nobody out in the fourth. Larnach has feasted on Gray (Sonny...not his teammate Tristan) in the recent past, and it was time for seconds. 5-0 Twins and Gray was chased from the game (Sonny...not our new third baseman).

Abel is More Than Able
The first two appearances of Abel's season left a lot to be desired. Piggy-backing in Baltimore didn't go well, and his first frozen Target Field start versus the Rays was rough. Abel's third start was near-dominant through six, and he managed to top that tonight. Mick struck out five consecutive Boston batters from the last out of the first through the first out of the third innings. Through six innings and only 81 pitches, Abel allowed only one runner to reach as far as second base. Before we get to how much Mick had left in his tank, a brief 438 foot message from Byron Buxton.

More Abel, New Milestones
Now emboldened with a 6-0 lead, Abel kept on dealing into the seventh and in many ways he accelarated his performance to the end. Abel notched two more strikeouts to reach a new career high at 10, with the last punchout of Carlos Narvaez maintaining his highest velocity of the night at 96 mph in what he himself described as a "pretty poorly executed pitch" in his dugout post-op interview. Not only that, but Abel utilized five separate types of pitches to collect his 10 strike outs, showing the kind of promise that made the Twins willing to depart with popular closer Jhoan Duran last season. Solid infield defense, no walks, and a 71% strike rate will make for a great night. Hope is abounding in Twins Territory, and Abel is starting to become a key part of that surprising story.

Finishing it Off Like You've Been There Before
After the first three series of the season, Twins fans were asking if their squad would get a series win at all in 2026. Now it feels like anything less is unacceptable. Taylor Rogers came in for the top of the eighth, and allowed a couple of baserunners but no ultimate damage done. Cole Sands got the call in the ninth as he looked to rebound from a rough outing in Toronto on Saturday. Sands preserved the shutout, and kept the Twins climbing up the win column.

What’s Next?
The Twins look to break out the brooms again at home on Wednesday afternoon during the annual Jackie Robinson Day celebration. Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson (0-2, 4.60 ERA) looks to join in on the winning side of the ledger for the first time this season, while the Red Sox will send young lefty Connelly Early (0-0, 2.63 ERA) out for eighth career start. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet