Red Sox bullpen collapse costs them 8-6 victory over Twins

The Boston Red Sox suffered an 8-6 defeat against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Fenway Park, marking a significant setback in their season after squandering a commanding 4-0 lead. The loss, which dropped the Red Sox to a 22-28 record, highlighted a rare bullpen collapse in a season where the team has historically maintained leads after six innings.

Starter Payton Tolle delivered a statistically strong performance, pitching six innings with nine strikeouts. While he surrendered three runs in the second inning, he subsequently retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. Manager Chad Tracy pulled Tolle at 85 pitches, citing efficiency and the need to protect the lead, despite Tolle’s dominant stretch in five of his six innings.

The turning point occurred in the seventh inning when reliever Justin Slaten entered with a 6-3 lead. Slaten, who had missed a month due to an oblique injury but had been nearly perfect prior to Friday, allowed two home runs to Byron Buxton and Austin Martin. These hits gave the Twins a 7-6 lead and snapped Slaten’s career-long streak of 15 consecutive scoreless appearances.

The deficit was extended in the ninth inning when closer Tyron Guerrero, making his first major league appearance since September 2019, walked in the winning run with the bases loaded. Although Guerrero recorded three outs following the walk, the Red Sox failed to respond offensively, finishing with only seven hits.

The game also featured a milestone for Willson Contreras, who recorded his 1,000th career major league hit with a first-inning triple. The Red Sox have now lost two of their 18 games where they held a lead after six innings this season, a statistic that underscores the unusual nature of Friday’s defeat. Brayan Bello is scheduled to pitch for Boston on Saturday, though his specific role remains unconfirmed.