Twins 4, Red Sox 2 (12 innings): Escape to Victory!

Extra-inning heroics give Twins series win over Red Sox

Buxton's 12th-inning single breaks tie, propels Twins to dramatic victory

The Minnesota Twins escaped Fenway Park with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in a 12-inning marathon on Sunday afternoon. The Twins rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win the series and improve to 13-13 on the season.

Byron Buxton's RBI single in the top of the 12th inning broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Twins the lead for good. Jorge Polanco added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

The Twins bullpen was outstanding in relief of starter Sonny Gray. Jorge Alcala (2-1) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Emilio Pagan pitched a scoreless 12th inning to earn his third save of the season.

The Red Sox took an early 2-0 lead on a two-run homer by Rafael Devers in the first inning. But the Twins chipped away at the lead, scoring a run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Polanco and tying the game in the sixth inning on a solo homer by Max Kepler.

The game remained tied until Buxton's heroics in the 12th inning. The Twins outfielder lined a single to right field off Red Sox reliever Matt Strahm, scoring pinch-runner Gilberto Celestino from second base.

The Twins' victory was their third in a row and their fifth in their last seven games. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have lost four of their last six games and are now 12-14 on the season.