MINNEAPOLIS _ Two weeks off is a lovely summer break for most people. Not so for major league pitchers.
Nick Tepesch found out the hard way on Saturday, when he made his Twins debut after being idle for 16 days. Tepesch surrendered five hits and two walks, recorded only five outs, and absorbed the Twins' 11-1 loss to the Red Sox at Target Field.
It wasn't entirely Tepesch's fault, of course; in fact, six of the seven runs he allowed were unearned due to a costly error by shortstop Jorge Polanco. But after retiring five of the first six batters he faced in his first action since April 20, Tepesch was hammered by Boston's lineup. Chris Young smashed the first of his two home runs deep into the left-field seats, and the next eight Red Sox reached base as well in what turned out to be an eight-run inning.
Dustin Pedroia had the biggest hit, a bases-loaded double that brought home three runs.
The game ended up being the mismatch that it appeared on paper, because the Twins were facing reigning Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, whose 1-4 record this season reflected a startling lack of support from his teammates. Boston had managed only eight runs while Porcello was in the game during his first six starts of the season, but the Red Sox equaled that support in one big inning Saturday.
Given the long-overdue help, Porcello had little trouble muffling the recently resurgent Twins offense. Minnesota had scored three or more runs in 14 straight games, but touched Porcello for only one run, on Robbie Grossman's solo home run to lead off the third inning. Porcello gave up seven hits, but issued no walks, just a series of fly balls _ 11 in his seven innings.
Even Eddie Rosario, the Twins' hottest hitter, couldn't break through. The left fielder struck out once and flied out twice, his 0 for 3 ending his career-best 15-game hitting streak.
Boston, meanwhile, added runs against Drew Rucinski (one of three players making their Twins debuts, along with Tepesch and infielder Ehire Adrianza), Ryan Pressly and Michael Tonkin.
Xander Bogaerts added three more hits, just a normal game for the Boston shortstop against the Twins. Bogaerts now owns eight three-hit games in the last 11 meetings with Minnesota, and a .633 average in that stretch.
