BOSTON � Any optimism that Jose Berrios had escaped his second-half slump, had been energized by a pennant race and refreshed by an extra day off, lasted exactly one pitch Wednesday.
Mookie Betts saw Berrios' fastball, sized it up and devoured it, launching the pitch into the front row of the Green Monster seats. And just like that, the scuffling, ebbing Berrios was back. The Twins' two-time All-Star resumed his post-All-Star recession, reignited speculation about what's wrong, and remained winless in Fenway Park, this time absorbing a 6-2 loss that felt much more lopsided.
As if to punctuate that fact, Betts struck again in the second inning, this time blasting a first-pitch curveball far deeper over the wall, this time with two runners on base. It was the second time in a month that an opponent had homered off Berrios in both the first and second innings; Danny Santana did it in Texas on Aug. 17.
And while Berrios limited Boston to a couple of singles as he regrouped for two innings, his night ended quickly in the sixth, when Brock Holt led off with a single, Mitch Moreland walked, and Christian Vazquez served a double down the left-field line.
Berrios was lifted for Ryne Harper after throwing 101 pitches, and his bumpy September night fit right in with most of his August nights, too: Five official innings, eight hits, and six runs.
The Puerto Rican righthander made the AL All-Star team in July on the strength of a 3.00 ERA; in 10 starts since appearing in that game, Berrios owns a 5.37 ERA, and has allowed 66 hits and 22 walks in 57 innings. He's now 0-3 in Fenway Park, too.
If any pitcher looked like an All-Star on this night, it was Eduardo Rodriguez, the Red Sox lefthander whose first inning also revealed the sort of night he would have. Rodriguez used a changeup to whiff Max Kepler, blew a fastball by Jorge Polanco for another strikeout, then got Nelson Cruz looking on another inside fastball.
From there, Rodriguez, who has allowed 22 home runs this season, limited the Twins to nothing but singles. He departed after allowing five singles in seven shutout innings, striking out eight and inducing two double plays. The Twins left the bases loaded in the fourth inning after a pair of Rodriguez walks, but Willians Astudillo flew out to right to end the Twins' biggest threat.
Only after the lefthander departed did the Twins' power-hitting lineup finally show up. After a Nelson Cruz single to open the eighth inning, Eddie Rosario, who had not homered since Aug. 18 _ 60 at-bats ago _ connected off Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier, his 28th homer of the season.
The Twins' outfield, already shorthanded by the injuries to Byron Buxton and Marwin Gonzalez, was reduced further when Max Kepler experienced soreness in his upper chest. The condition is not considered serious, the Twins said, but Kepler was removed in the eighth inning in favor of rookie Ian Miller, who made his major-league debut.
The Twins' AL Central lead was reduced by a game when Cleveland held on for an 8-6 victory over the White Sox. Minnesota's lead is now 5{ games, with the Indians due at Target Field this weekend.
