Instead, the Sox felt frustrated after a 5-2 loss in front of a crowd of 24,488 at Target Field.
Make it 11 in a row for the Twins, their longest streak since 2006 and longest in the majors this season. Chris Paddack (3-1) and four relievers limited the Sox to four hits and struck out 13 with one walk.
The Sox have a bullpen game scheduled for Saturday with Brennan Bernardino starting against Pablo López.
If only Rafael Devers hadn’t hit the ball so hard in the first inning, Friday’s game could have been different.
Jarren Duran grounded to shortstop to open the game. His speed at the line annoyed Carlos Correa, who threw the ball. Devers then lined a fastball into the gap in right field for a double.
The ball, which had an exit velocity of 111.9 mph, was hit too hard for Duran to score. Paddack then struck out Tyler O’Neill throwing a high fastball before Wilyer Abreu moved to shortstop and Garrett Cooper grounded to second base.
The Sox did not advance a runner into scoring position until the eighth inning. They were then down 5-0.
Devers was 2 for 4 with two doubles, a walk and two RBIs. He hit safely in nine straight games, going 15 for 33 with seven walks. The hot streak increased his OPS to .929.
Ceddanne Rafaela singled in the third inning, but was thrown out for stealing. Devers tied the game with two outs in the sixth, but Paddack again threw a high fastball to strike out O’Neill and maintain a 1-0 lead.
Paddack entered the game with a 5.88 ERA in five starts, but he held the Sox to two hits and struck out six with one walk.
Willi Castro led off the third inning with a line drive double to left field. Houck got two ground outs before Edouard Julien dropped an 0-and-2 sinker, a pitch left high, into left field to drive in the run.
Houck managed six innings on 90 pitches. Some nights that would have been enough. But the Sox used four relievers Thursday against the Giants and scheduled Saturday’s bullpen game.
“We needed him to step up the game,” Cora said. “That’s what good people do.”
The game got away from the Sox.
Trevor Larnach and Carlos Santana led off the inning with singles. José Miranda was called for a sacrifice and pushed the ball in front of home plate.
Catcher Reese McGuire played second base, but threw an off-balance throw into center field. Pinch runner Austin Martin scored, and that was it for Houck after 99 pitches.
“If we get that out, we’re one pitch away (from the end of the inning),” Cora said. “(McGuire) just threw it away.”
Naoyuki Uwasawa entered and walked No. 9 hitter Miranda on five pitches to load the bases.
The Sox got an out at the plate, but Uwasawa was called for a clock violation on a three-pitch count to Julien. Forced march while running. Ryan Jeffers then lined a two-run double into the left gap to open the game.
Houck (3-3) was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks in six-plus innings and struck out five.
“I wouldn’t say it was my best in terms of stuff,” the right-hander said. “Going back to the seventh, I want to go out there and finish it.”
Devers added a two-run double to left field with two outs in the eighth inning, the 409-foot shot hitting the outfield fence on the fly.
O’Neill struck out again with a chance to score. He was 0 for 4, striking out three times and leaving four runners on base.
Peter Abraham can be contacted at [email protected]. follow him @PeteAbe.
