Taj Bradley returns from injured list with five strong innings as Twins top Red Sox 4-2

Bradley gave up one run over five innings in his return from a chest muscle injury, Trevor Larnach matched his career-high with four hits and the Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday for their ninth victory in 13 games. Making his first start since going on the injured list May 9 because of right pectoralis muscle inflammation, Bradley (5-1) gave up three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He reached 100 miles per hour with a pitch for the first time in his career, throwing a 100.3 mph offering to Contreras in the fourth. That was the inning Boston scored its lone run off Bradley. Former Twin Mickey Gasper hit a one-out single for the first Red Sox hit, and Contreras reached on a two-out infield single. Bradley then got two quick strikes on Ceddanne Rafaela, but he left a splitter up that Rafaela lined to right-center field. Gasper scored easily to cut Boston’s deficit to 2-1, but the Twins threw out Contreras at the plate as he collided with catcher Victor Caratini trying to score after running through a late stop sign from third base coach Chad Epperson. Benches and bullpens cleared briefly, but no punches were thrown. The Twins responded with two runs in the fifth inning. Larnach began the inning with his third hit, a single to right off Boston righthander Brayan Bello. Austin Martin followed with an infield single that second baseman Marcelo Mayer couldn’t field cleanly, and Josh Bell then hit a potential double-play grounder to first that was booted by Contreras for an error that loaded the bases. After a flyout from Kody Clemens, Victor Caratini hit a sacrifice fly to right that was just deep enough for Larnach to score on. Larnach avoided catcher Connor Wong’s tag at the plate, a play that withstood a replay challenge from the Red Sox. Orlando Arcia made it 4-1 when he hit a groundball up the middle that Bello deflected while trying to backhand; had Bello not touched the ball, it likely would have been fielded for the third out.