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Wakefield stuck at 199, but Boston downs Twins

Aug 9, 2011 - 3:34 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Tim Wakefield remained stuck on 199 career wins Monday, but not because of David Ortiz's lack of production.

The Boston slugger finished with four hits, including a home run, and drove in three to lead the Red Sox to an 8-6 victory over the Twins.

Wakefield was trying to notch his 200th career victory for the third time, and despite giving up five runs -- three earned -- in seven innings, was actually in position to win.

That was largely thanks to Ortiz, who went back-to-back with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the sixth and scored a go-ahead run on an error in the eighth.

While Wakefield came away without a decision after the Twins tied the game, Ortiz plated the decisive run in the ninth to give the Red Sox their third consecutive win. They won the final two games of their weekend series against the Yankees.

The Twins are sliding in the other direction, having lost five in a row.

They were in control with a 5-1 lead after five innings, but Boston's offense rallied to erase the deficit against Minnesota starter Scott Baker.

Carl Crawford opened the sixth with a triple and scored on Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly, and after Dustin Pedroia singled, Ortiz hammered a home run to right field. He got around on Baker's belt-high and inside pitch, crushing it to the second deck.

Saltalamacchia followed by clubbing a low pitch to right field for his 11th home run.

Wakefield threw two scoreless frames to finish his outing, and was in position to win after the Red Sox took advantage of an error in the eighth.

Ortiz was standing on third after a leadoff double and a groundout. He broke for home when pinch-hitter Mike Aviles tapped a ball to shortstop Matt Tolbert, who threw home in time for the tag, but catcher Joe Mauer couldn't hold on to the ball.

The 6-5 edge didn't last long. Jason Kubel's one-out single plated Trevor Plouffe, who began the bottom half of the inning against Alfredo Aceves (8-1) with a ground-rule double.

But the Red Sox rallied once more. Glen Perkins (3-2) was nearly out of the ninth inning after picking off Jacoby Ellsbury for the second out, but gave up a single to Adrian Gonzalez before being pulled.

Dustin Pedroia then singled against Joe Nathan, and Ortiz followed with a looping single to get pinch-runner Darnell McDonald home for a 7-6 edge. Saltalamacchia's double provided an insurance run, and Jonathan Papelbon worked a 1-2-3 inning for his 25th save.

"You've got to put a good effort out there and play to win," said the Twins' Michael Cuddyer. "I thought we did that tonight, we just came up a little short."

Earlier in Monday's game, it appeared as though sloppy play would do in Wakefield and the Red Sox.

Marco Scutaro's RBI single put Boston on the board in the second, but Jed Lowrie was caught straying off second base on the play to end the inning.

Minnesota responded with a three-run bottom half, largely thanks to a series of fielding mishaps.

Crawford failed to catch a fly ball hit by leadoff batter Cuddyer, who reached second and raced around third when Kubel followed with a single to right field. A strong but off-line throw from Josh Reddick forced Saltalamacchia to apply a diving tag, and the ball sprung from his glove.

Jim Thome then drove a double to the right-center field gap and later scored on a passed ball to make it a 3-1 game. Kubel homered in the fourth and Mauer doubled in Plouffe in the fifth, pushing Minnesota's lead to four.

"I felt like I had a good knuckleball all night, and some weird stuff happened there in the second inning," Wakefield said. "Just [tried] to persevere through that and keep us in the game."

Game Notes

Lowrie came off the disabled list Monday and batted 1-for-4 in the eighth spot, playing third and first base. He had been sidelined since June 17 with a shoulder injury...Scutaro played shortstop and had three hits...Kubel went 3- for-4...With Monday's series-opener, the Red Sox began a stretch during which they will play 14 of 17 games on the road.