Led by a clutch three-run homer from the bat of Joe Mauer, the Minnesota Twins pulled off an improbable comeback at Fenway Park on Saturday to stun the hometown Red Sox, 6-4.
Minnesota entered the ninth inning trailing by two runs on the scoreboard, as Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves remained in the game to attempt a rare two-inning save. But a Jamey Carroll single that scored speedster Alexi Casilla quickly set the table for Mauer to walk to the plate with not only a pair of runners on base and a mere one-run deficit, but with just one out remaining for his team. Clutch, indeed.
In addition to Mauer's big night, outfielder Ben Revere singled early in the game to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. The 24-year-old youngster finished 3-for-5 with a stolen base (his 26th) on Saturday to raise his season average to .323, and continues to play the best baseball of his professional career at the moment in the No. 2 spot in Ron Gardenhire's lineup.
The game-winning blast though, which marked Mauer's seventh of 2012, now gives the Twins three straight victories against the Red Sox in the four-game set, and will allow Sunday's starter Nick Blackburn to try his hand for a series sweep.
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