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Gonzalez, Red Sox top Twins

May 8, 2011 - 11:51 PM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Adrian Gonzalez celebrated his 29th birthday with a 3-for-5 performance, including a solo home run, as the Boston Red Sox rallied to defeat the Minnesota Twins, 9-5, in the third game of a four-game set.

Jacoby Ellsbury also had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 17 games for the Red Sox, who have won two in row since a three-game losing streak. J.D. Drew and Jed Lowrie both knocked in two runs in the win.

Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-3) gave up three runs in the first inning, but settled down to last six innings and allow four total runs on five hits.

"I don't know if much was different from the first inning except for the results," Red Sox Jason Varitek said of Matsuzaka's showing.

Danny Valencia had a home run and finished with three RBI the Twins, who have lost eight their last 11 contests.

Twins starter Carl Pavano (2-4), who was gunning for his 100th career win, surrendered seven runs on 10 hits in five innings.

"My stuff just isn't good right now," Pavano said. "I'm just not getting the job done."

The Red Sox snatched the lead in the third with a four-run inning and never looked back.

Carl Crawford led off with a triple and scored on Varitek's groundout. Later in the inning, Gonzalez's single brought home Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia crossed home on Kevin Youkilis' force out. Youkilis touched the plate on Drew's single to end the rally for a 5-3 lead.

The edge was cut to one during the top of the fourth when Valencia led off with a homer, which was reviewed and confirmed that it hit the mesh of the left field foul pole.

Gonzalez, though, got his birthday home run in the fifth with an opposite field solo shot and Youkilis scored again on a Drew force out to second base, giving Boston a 7-4 lead.

Lowrie had a two-run double in the seventh while Minnesota added a run in the eighth to make up the final score.

After getting shut out for the third time this season on Saturday, the Twins put up three runs in their first at-bat on Sunday.

Denard Span led off with a walk and stole second before Trevor Plouffe drew a walk. Jason Kubel then singled in Span and, later in the inning, Valencia's single up the middle plated both Plouffe and Kubel for a 3-0 lead.

Boston got on the board in the second on Drew's groundout, which scored Youkilis for a 3-1 game.

Game Notes

The Red Sox placed shortstop Marco Scutaro on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique before the game. To fill the roster spot Boston recalled shortstop Jose Iglesias from Triple-A Pawtucket...Boston, which has won the season series against the Twins each of the last three years, is 9-1 at Fenway dating back to 2008...Minnesota fell to 3-5 on a nine-game road trip...Kubel was 3-for-4 with two RBI.