David Ortiz Injury Update: Slugger May Need An Injection

The Boston Red Sox season seems to be slipping away faster than sand through an open hand.

Part of the reason is the lost of their lone All-Star David Ortiz, who has been sidelined since July 16 with a strained right Achilles tendon. Ortiz was eligible to come off of the disabled list on Aug 1, but hasn't been able to get on the field due to continued soreness.

On Sunday, Big Papi expressed his frustration, according to ESPN.com.

"I might get injected tomorrow," he said. "I'm thinking about it. Not cortisone or anything like that, I don't know. I have to talk to the doctor. I've got to get more information. I've got to talk to the doctor because I'm still very sore."

Ortiz doesn't think the problem will become more an issue. However, he's concerned about the slow recovery sped thus far.

"Am I worried? Of course. I haven't played in the last three weeks and I still have pain. I'm not worried about getting worse, because I know I'm getting better, but the pain won't go away. I don't know if that's part of the healing process, I don't know. Some days I feel better, and I think the next day is going to be even better, but the next day I come back and continue to be sore. After I work out and do things, I get very sore, too."

Once Ortiz starts to feel better, he'll go through a few workouts and then finally be in the lineup once again.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Final Score: Sox Survive Late Twins Rally, Avoid Sweep With 6-4 Win

The Red Sox finally took a 6-4 win off the Minnesota Twins Sunday afternoon as Franklin Morales threw six solid innings in his return to the rotation.

It was a slow start for both sides in the first couple of innings, though Franklin Morales had to throw a good few pitches to escape the first. Nick Blackburn, meanwhile, worked around singles from Carl Crawford in the first and Will Middlebrooks in the second.

The Sox would break the scoreless tie in the third, as Mike Aviles and Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with a single and double respectively, scoring on a ground ball out from Carl Crawford and single from Dustin Pedroia.

The Twins would get one back in the fifth, scoring as Alexi Casilla scored on a sacrifice fly after a leadoff walk, but the Sox responded loudly in the bottom half of the inning. After another Carl Crawford base hit, Adrian Gonzalez took an outside fastball and went with it, hitting an opposite-field shot over the Monster that made it 4-1, Red Sox.

Boston was able to add a pair of runs between the seventh and eighth on sacrifice flies that must, at the time, have seemed like luxuries. Ultimately, though, they'd need the 6-1 lead they were given heading into the ninth. With Craig Breslow inexplicably replaced by Vicente Padilla in the ninth after recording just the last out in the eighth, the Twins quickly rallied. A leadoff homer from Josh Willingham made it 6-2, and after a walk to Justin Morneau, Ryan Doumit got ahead 3-0. Padilla would grove the next three pitches over the plate, the first two being taken for strikes, the third being launched deep to right for a two-run shot.

Thankfully, Alfredo Aceves was up to the task of a legitimate save this time around. Now working with just a two-run lead, Aceves recorded three runs where Vicente Padilla could record none, leaving the Sox 6-4 winners and saving them from the embarrassment of a sweep.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Danny Valencia Traded: Red Sox Acquire 3rd Baseman From Twins

The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins decided to not only play on the field Sunday but also wheel-and-deal off it. During the finale of a three-game series, the two teams conducted a trade which will send third baseman Danny Valencia to Boston in exchange for minor-league outfielder Jeremias Pineda.

Valencia, who will be optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, is 27 years old and has played sparingly over his three seasons with the Twins. He is a career .260 hitter. In 2010, Valencia finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. On Friday, Valencia went 0-for-4 against the Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Pineda is a 21-year-old prospect who was playing for the Red Sox's Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

The move puts the Red Sox's 40-man roster at 40.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Live Blog: Inning By Inning Update For Game 4

Can the Red Sox dodge an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Twins? We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

Red Sox 6, Twins 1, End 8th -- The Sox add another insurance run as Jacoby Ellsbury hits a bullet of a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Ryan Kalish home from third after a leadoff double and stolen base.

Red Sox 5, Twins 1, Mid 8th -- Mark Melancon gives up a leadoff double to Jamey Carroll before striking out Ben Revere and getting a pop-up from Darin Mastroianni. Craig Breslow entered for the last out (much like he should have last night) and earned a ground ball from Joe Mauer to send the game to the bottom of the eighth.

Red Sox 5, Twins 1, End 7th -- Carl Crawford's third hit of the day helps the Sox add on an insurance run in the seventh, as he leads off with a single, moves to second on a Dustin Pedroia ground ball, and scores when Cody Ross singles into center. Only a great over-the-shoulder catch by Ben Revere on a long fly ball from Jarrod Saltalamacchia keeps the Twins from more trouble, as he fires back in to double up Adrian Gonzalez at second.

Red Sox 4, Twins 1, Mid 7th -- Mark Melancon strikes out Brian Dozier in the middle of a 1-2-3 seventh inning, leaving the Twins with just six outs to try and recover from a three-run hole.

Red Sox 4, Twins 1, End 6th -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia is robbed of a leadoff single by a great diving play from Alexi Casilla. Given the two hits that followed from Will Middlebrooks and Mike Aviles, Casilla can likely also be credited with saving a run.

Red Sox 4, Twins 1, Mid 6th -- The Sox manage to squeeze one final inning out of Franklin Morales, who retires the side in order to finish a strong day of work in his return to the rotation.

Red Sox 4, Twins 1, End 5th -- The Sox repay the first Minnesota run of the day with two of their own. After a lengthy battle at the plate, Carl Crawford takes a ninth-pitch changeup from Nick Blackburn and lines it past his head into center field for a one-out single. While Dustin Pedroia can't move him into scoring position, Adrian Gonzalez goes with a fastball away and goes opposite field into the Monster seats for a two-run shot that gives the Sox a nice cushion to work with.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, Mid 5th -- A leadoff walk ends up costing Morales his first run of the game, as Alexi Casilla steals second base, moves to third on a ground ball, and then comes in to score on a sacrifice fly.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, End 4th -- Nick Blackburn bounces back with his first 1-2-3 inning of the night against the bottom of the lineup. He'll have to face a 1-2-3 combination that's hit him pretty well to start the fifth.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, Mid 4th -- A two-out single from Ryan Doumit costs Morales just three pitches, as he quickly gets Brian Dozier to pop out behind him to finish his fourth scoreless inning of work.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, End 3rd -- The Sox finally break through against the mediocre Nick Blackburn in the third. A leadoff single from Mike Aviles gets the lineup turned over in the right way, and with Jacoby Ellsbury doubling to the base of the Monster behind him the Sox have runners on second and third with nobody out. A sharp ground ball to short from Carl Crawford would be enough to bring the first run in, and Adrian Gonzalez quickly made it 2-0 with a bloop to center befroe Cody Ross popped out and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a long fly ball to center to end the inning.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 3rd -- Morales gets into a bit of trouble in the third, with two men reaching with one out, but a pickoff throw catches Darin Mastroianni at first, and Morales gets a ground ball from Mauer to end the inning.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, End 2nd -- A two-out single up the middle and steal from Will Middlebrooks is all the Sox get in a scoreless second.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 2nd -- Franklin Morales picks up his third strikeout as he ends a 1-2-3 second inning with a K of Alexi Cassila.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, End 1st -- Carl Crawford gives the Sox their first hit of the game with a first-pitch line drive to center field, but Dustin Pedroia grounds out and Adrian Gonzalez hits a pop-up to keep the Sox off the board in the first.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 1st -- The Twins go scoreless in the first, but they make Franklin Morales work awfully hard for his outs. After a leadoff single and stolen base from Ben Revere, Morales finds the bottom of the zone with the count full against Darin Mastroianni for strikeout number one and drops a curveball on the corner down and away to Joe Mauer for number two. Morales ends up losing Josh Willingham after getting ahead 1-2, but gets a ground ball from Justin Morneau to end things without damage.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Lineup: Jacoby Ellsbury, Will Middlebrooks Back

The Red Sox are out to dodge a sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins as Franklin Morales returns to the rotation against Nick Blackburn. First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. EST with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.

The Sox will have both Will Middlebrooks and Jacoby Ellsbury back in the lineup after the pair missed Saturday's game with a scheduled day off and a minor leg issue respectively. Ellsbury is back in his traditional leadoff spot, while Will Middlebrooks bats seventh and plays third.

Ryan Kalish will remain in the lineup despite the return of Ellsbury, playing right field while Cody Ross plays DH. This means that an injury in the outfield could be big trouble for the Sox, who aren't carrying a fifth outfielder at the moment.

Boston Red Sox (53-55)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
5. Cody Ross, DH
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
7. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
8. Ryan Kalish, RF
9. Mike Aviles, SS

Minnesota Twins (47-60)

1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Darin Mastroianni, RF
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Josh Willingham, LF
5. Justin Morneau, 1B
6. Ryan Doumit, DH
7. Brian Dozier, SS
8. Alexi Casilla, 2B
9. Jamey Carroll, 3B

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Final Score: Joe Mauer's Ninth Inning Homer Sends Sox To Crushing 6-4 Defeat

A strong start from Clay Buchholz and a clutch homer from Pedro Ciriaco were not enough to snap the Red Sox' losing streak, as a late meltdown from Alfredo Aceves cost them a three-run ninth and a series loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Living up to expectations and playing the stopper was Clay Buchholz. He's been on a great run of late, and what the Sox needed more than anything was a strong start after seeing the Twins put up 11 on them in the first two games.

While Buchholz would get himself in trouble in the second, allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach and then eventually loading the bases, he would strike out Darin Mastroianni for his first out and then get a diving grab from Nick Punto and a ground ball to first to keep the Twins off the board. The next two innings would pass relatively uneventfully, letting Clay enter the fifth without a run to his name.

The Red Sox offense, meanwhile, had given him a small cushion in the first two innings. Carl Crawford doubled home Ryan Kalish in the first after the center fielder led off the game with a leadoff walk, and then Mike Aviles had gone long in the second. Cole De Vries would settle down from there, however, keeping the Sox to just the two runs through the end of the seventh inning.

The Twins would finally push across a run in the fifth thanks to an errant pickoff throw to first from Buchholz--his second of the game--and a throw from Kelly Shoppach on a nubber in front of the plate that hit the runner in the back. That unearned would be all they would get off of Buchholz in seven innings of work.

Unfortunately, Andrew Miller was up to the task of letting them tie the game in the eighth. Walking two and giving up an infield hit, Miller loaded the bases without recording an out before handing the ball off to Alfredo Aceves. The closer would come through about as well as could be hoped, escaping with just one run in on a sacrifice fly, but it tied the game all-the-same.

The tie would last for all of two pitches in the bottom of the inning, however, as Pedro Ciriaco pinch hit for Ryan Kalish against the left-handed Glen Perkins and added to his already impressive resume of clutch hits with a rocket over the Monster that put the Sox back up 3-2. With Cody Ross knocking home Dustin Pedroia after a hit by pitch, the Sox would grab an insurance run.

Those two runs, however, would not be enough for Alfredo Aceves. After starting the inning with a strikeout of Brian Dozier, Aceves allowed a double down the first base line to Alexi Casilla, and a bloop single to Jamey Carroll that put one run on the board. A long fly ball to right got Aceves his second out, but a single from Ben Revere kept the inning alive for Joe Mauer. Mauer worked the count full after a 2-2 pitch just missed away, and then gave him a fastball to hit. The result? A three-run homer over the Monster which put the Sox in a 6-4 hole they could not recover from.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 3

The Red Sox need Clay Buchholz to play the stopper tonight, lest they suffer an embarrassing series loss to the Twins at home. We'll keep you up to date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

Red Sox 4, Twins 2, End 8th -- It takes the Sox all of two pitches to get back on top in the eighth, and who else does the job but Pedro Ciriaco? Pinch hitting in place of Ryan Kalish against left-handed reliever Glen Perkins, the young clutch machine provides again, taking a 1-0 fastball and launching a rocket shot over the Monster to recover the lead for the Sox. With Dustin Pedroia scoring on a Cody Ross single after being hit by Perkins, the Sox will even head to the ninth with some insurance.

Red Sox 2, Twins 2, Mid 8th -- The Red Sox will consider themselves lucky to have escaped with a tie. Andrew Miller enters the eighth inning in place of Clay Buchholz, and does his best 2011 Andrew Miller impression, walking two and giving up an infield single to load the bases without an out. In comes Alfredo Aceves, however, to save the day, surrendering just the one run on a sacrifice fly while escaping the inning otherwise unharmed.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, End 7th -- The Red Sox waste a leadoff base hit from Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the bottom third of the order go 1-2-3, leaving the Sox clinging to the same lead they've had for the last three frames now.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, Mid 7th -- Clay Buchholz has likely pitched his last inning of the night, but it comes in 1-2-3 fashion thanks to a double play off the bat of Alexi Casilla. Buchholz has come a long way after those two terrible months to start the season.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, End 6th -- Adrian Gonzalez gives the Sox their first hit since the second inning, but it's a two-out single that doesn't lead to anything more, leaving the Sox still stuck at just the two runs.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, Mid 6th -- The Sox have a bit of a scary moment when Bobby Valentine and the trainers come out to check on Clay Buchholz, who hunches over by the mound after getting Ryan Doumit to ground into a double play. They head back to the dugout, however, and Buchholz stays in to record the last out and move the game along to the bottom of the sixth.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, End 5th -- Cole De Vries strikes out the side in order in the bottom of the fifth. He's settled in after early struggles.

Red Sox 2, Twins 1, Mid 5th -- The Red Sox surrender what might be the quintessential Red Sox opposition run this season: a one-out ground ball single, an errant throw to first from Clay Bucholz, and then a nubber in front of the plate that Kelly Shoppach throws into Ben Revere's back. Tough one to swallow, that, but they've still got the lead at least.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, End 4th -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia draws a two-out walk and Mike Aviles hits another deep fly ball to left, but it dies near the warning track to keep the Sox to just the two runs through four.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, Mid 4th -- Buchholz gives up a double to the wall with two outs in the inning, but strikes out Darin Mastroianni to end the inning without any further incident.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, End 3rd -- Cole De Vries enjoys a 1-2-3 third--his first scoreless inning of the night--though he needs a good pick on a well-hit grounder to retire Carl Crawford, and has to throw seven pitches to Dustin Pedroia to grab the third out of the frame.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, Mid 3rd -- Clay Buchholz bounces back in style with a nine-pitch third inning, getting two ground balls and one through the air to preserve Boston's lead headed to the bottom of the third.

Red Sox 2, Twins 0, End 2nd -- One big swing from Mike Aviles doubles the Sox' lead, as the shortstop launched his eleventh homer of the season up and into the Monster seats to make it 2-0 after two.

Red Sox 1, Twins 0, Mid 2nd -- Clay Buchholz gets himself into and out of a big jam in the second. After allowing a line drive to center to Justin Morneau, giving the Twins a leadoff baserunner, Buchholz made a confusing (given Morneau's total lack of speed) throw to first which got away from Adrian Gonzalez, allowing Morneau to move into scoring position. A seeing-eye-single through the left side wasn't enough to get him in, however, and just put runners on the corners with nobody out.

Buchholz would battle back with some help from the defense after that. A well placed fastball cut just over the plate to Darin Mastroianni, costing him a called strike three, and while Brian Dozier put a decent swing on the ball, Nick Punto made a diving grab to make the out and keep the runners right where they were. With Adrian Gonzalez ranging to make a play on a ground ball from Jamey Carroll and tossing to Buchholz covering first, the Sox were out of the jam without any damage.

Red Sox 1, Twins 0, End 1st -- Even with Jacoby Ellsbury out, the top of the lineup gets the job done in the first. Ryan Kalish draws a five-pitch walk in the leadoff spot, and then is quickly knocked in by Carl Crawford, who goes to the opposite field with authority for a wallball double. While the middle-of-the-order goes 1-2-3, stranding Crawford, they'll be happy with the early lead and the positive signs from their left fielder.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 1st -- The worst things get for Clay Buchholz in the first is a 2-0 count to Denard Span, who takes the next two pitches for strikes and goes down swinging at the changeup. Ben Revere and Joe Mauer follow him back to the dugout with a pair of quick ground balls as Buchholz wraps up a very nice 1-2-3 start to his outing.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Lineup: Nick Punto Plays Third

The Red Sox will look to snap their three-game losing streak as they take on the Minnesota Twins in the third game of a four-game series in Fenway Park. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EST with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.

After a few days with Ryan Lavarnway in the lineup, the Sox will shift back to having both Kelly Shoppach and Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the lineup against the right-handed Cole De Vries.

They will also be without Will Middlebrooks, who gets the day off in place of Nick Punto at third base. Punto will bat ninth, with Mike Aviles remaining in the lineup in favor of Pedro Ciriaco and batting seventh.

Boston Red Sox (53-54)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
5. Cody Ross, RF
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, DH
7. Mike Aviles, SS
8. Kelly Shoppach, C
9. Nick Punto, 3B

Minnesota Twins (46-60)

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Ben Revere, RF
3. Joe Mauer, 1B
4. Justin Morneau, DH
5. Ryan Doumit, C
6. Darin Mastroianni, LF
7. Brian Dozier, SS
8. Alexi Casilla, 2B
9. Jamey Carroll, 3B

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Final Score: Sox Surrender Early Lead, Fall 6-5 In Extra Innings

The Red Sox fell for the third straight night, surrendering a 5-1 lead and eventually falling 6-5 in the tenth inning.

After Felix Doubront managed to strand a pair of baserunners in the top of the first, the lefty let the Twins take the lead in the second, with a leadoff double setting the table for Darin Mastroianni, who singled up the middle to make it 1-0, Twins.

The Sox responded instantly, however, scoring in the bottom of the second when Carl Crawford doubled with two outs in the inning and then scored on a flair to center by Kelly Shoppach. Doubront held the tie in the top half of the third, and then was gifted a big lead by the Red Sox, who took full advantage of a Minnesota mistake in the bottom half of the inning.

The frame started simply enough with a pair of ground ball singles bringing Adrian Gonzalez to the plate with two on and nobody out. While Gonzalez had wasted a similar opportunity in the first by grounding into a double play, this time he was up to the task, hitting a line drive into left that brought a run in. Brian Duensing would manage to get the next two outs without much trouble, getting Ryan Lavarnway on a fly ball and Will Middlebrooks on strikes, bringing Carl Crawford to the plate.

On the third pitch of the at bat, Crawford hit a high foul ball into foul territory right of first base. Justin Morneau moved to play the ball, but couldn't get set underneath, and had the foul bounce harmlessly off his glove, giving Crawford another chance. The next pitch was a fastball over the plate, and Crawford didn't miss it, launching a three-run shot into the bullpen to put the Sox ahead 5-1.

The Twins would not waste too much time in responding. Hitting a wall in the fifth (as he has seemed to do all-too-often the last couple of months), Doubront surrenderd a leadoff single, and then allowed a single and a walk to load the bases. Getting increasingly frustrated with the zone, Doubront would fall behind 3-1 to the next batter, Josh Willingham, and then walk in a run on the fifth pitch of the plate appearance. A single to center brought two more around, and only a great running grab by Cody Ross managed to hold the Twins to just a sacrifice fly to finish the inning, leaving them all tied up at 5-5.

The Sox and Twins would trade zeroes, with the Sox wasting a huge opportunity with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth before stranding Ryan Lavarnway at second in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. There, Vicente Padilla surrendered a leadoff double to Mastroianni and, while Will Middlebrooks was able to make a great diving play to turn an attempted bunt into an out in foul territory, Jamey Carroll singled to right to put the Twins up 6-5. The Sox went 1-2-3 in the bottom half, and the Twins secured at least a series tie.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 2

The Red Sox are out to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Twins as they take on Brian Duensing Friday night.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, End 9th -- A two-out double off the wall from Ryan Lavarnway gives Will Middlebrooks a chance to end the game, but while the rookie is able to work a decent battle against Jeff Gray, he ultimately grounds out to third, sending the game to extra innings.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, Mid 9th -- A loss of control from Andrew Miller with two outs puts two men on for the Twins, but Vicente Padilla enters and strikes out Danny Valencia to finish the frame with the tie intact and give the Sox a chance for a walkoff in the bottom half of the inning.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, End 8th -- The Red Sox waste a golden opportunity in tragic fashion. With the bases loaded, one out, and their top two batters coming to the plate, all Boston needed to take the lead was a fly ball, or even a well-placed grounder. Instead, what they get is Jacoby Ellsbury swinging at ball three for strike three (looking like nobody so much as Carl Crawford at his worst) and Dustin Pedroia hitting a lazy fly ball that brings the inning to a sadly unproductive end.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, Mid 8th -- Mark Melancon picks up the first two outs before an infield single draws Andrew Miller into the game. The lefty reliever is able to get a ground ball from Denard Span, sending the game to the bottom of the eighth.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, End 7th -- Cody Ross' wall ball double goes for naught as Adrian Gonzalez is given first and Ryan Lavarnway pops up behind home plate to end the inning. The Sox have been very quiet since those first few innings.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, Mid 7th -- A 2-out double from Justin Morneau is all that stops the Twins from making it two straight 1-2-3 frames. Mark Melancon is called on to record the last out, and gets Danny Valencia swinging to end the frame.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, End 6th -- The Red Sox give the game its first 1-2-3 inning, with Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Sweeney going down by way of the K as Brian Duensing finishes the sixth inning.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, Mid 6th -- Three ground ball outs help Junichi Tazawa to work around a one-out double to the wall in left, leaving the teams locked at five-a-piece.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, End 5th -- Two straight errors get the Sox off to a great--if lucky--start in the fifth. They waste it, though, as Lavarnway grounds into a double play and Will Middlebrooks pops up behind him to end the threat in rapid fashion.

Red Sox 5, Twins 5, Mid 5th -- And the Red Sox' lead comes to a dramatic end.

Felix Doubront, in what is becoming all-too-common a scene for him, just could not keep it up as his pitch count rose. A leadoff single grew into a bases loaded, one out situation, and with Doubront growing increasingly frustrated with the strike zone, the first run of the inning came in on a walk to Josh Willingham. Justin Morneau singled to center behind him to bring home two more runs, and a line drive should likely have meant a Minnesota lead were it not for Cody Ross running the ball down in right field, holding the Twins to just the game-tying sacrifice fly. Darin Mastroianni would finally end the inning with a fly all, but the damage had been done.

Red Sox 5, Twins 1, End 4th -- Mike Aviles also hits a single, but like Doubront, Duensing is able to work out of trouble, getting a double play ball from Dustin Pedroia to end the frame.

Red Sox 5, Twins 1, Mid 4th -- Morneau leads off the inning with a single, but Doubront picks up a strikeout and two ground balls to make sure it doesn't develop into anything significant.

Red Sox 5, Twins 1, End 3rd -- A big inning for the Sox should have been just a small one, but they're not about to give it back. After a pair of ground ball singles from Dustin Pedroia and Cody Ross, Adrian Gonzalez made up for his first inning GIDP by cashing in with a line drive into left field to score a run. Ryan Lavarnway and Will Middlebrooks would provide the first two outs without bringing a second run in, and when Carl Crawford hit a pop-up into foul territory, the inning seemed over.

Justin Morneau, however, was not up to the task of making the routine play, letting the ball bounce off his glove and giving Crawford another opportunity. And did he ever take advantage of it. A fastball down the chute was launched deep to right, dropping into the bullpens for a three-run jack that put the Sox up 5-1.

Red Sox 1, Twins 1, Mid 3rd -- Felix Doubront starts a double play after giving up a one-out walk to Joe Mauer, holding the tie in the third.

Red Sox 1, Twins 1, End 2nd -- The Sox grab the tie right back in the bottom half of the second thanks to some good two-out hitting. After Ryan Lavarnway went down on solid contact and Will Middlebrooks grounded out, Carl Crawford pulled a breaking ball away from him into right field for a double, and then came around to score when Kelly Shoppach smacked a line drive up the middle and into center field.

Twins 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 2nd -- Doubront can't get away from early trouble this time around. A leadoff double from Justin Morneau costs the southpaw a run, with Darin Mastroianni singling back up the middle one out later to bring the run in from third.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, End 1st -- Adrian Gonzalez has been hot at the plate lately, but he comes up worse-than-empty when the Sox need him in the first. After the first two batters reach with hits to make it 1st-and-3rd with nobody out, a Cody Ross pop-up gets Duensing one of the outs he needs, and Adrian Gonzalez grounds into a double play behind him to leave the Sox scoreless.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 1st -- Felix Doubront manages a scoreless first inning thanks to Jacoby Ellsbury. After a one-out line drive bounces off his glove, Doubront gives up a single to left field putting two on. The Twins, thankfully, outthink themselves, with Joe Mauer running into an out at second with a double steal. Josh Willingham almost cashes in anyways, hitting a long fly ball towards the triangle in center, but Ellsbury is able to chase it down, making the grab at full speed to end the inning.

Josh Beckett Injury Update: Franklin Morales To Start Vs. Twins On Sunday In Place of Beckett

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett will not start on Sunday, according to a report. Franklin Morales will start in Beckett's place against the Minnesota Twins. Whether or not Beckett will need a disabled list stint has not been determined.

Beckett missed a bullpen session on Thursday due to back spasms. He left his last start in the third inning against the Tigers on July 31 with the back issue. On the 2012 season, Beckett is 5-9 with a 4.54 ERA. Morales is 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 33 appearances on the year. Morales also has a save in one opportunity this season and eight holds. Morales has been in the bullpen since having a brief place in the starting rotation before the MLB All-Star break. In his five starts, Morales was 2-1.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Lineups: Mike Aviles Returns Against Brian Duensing

The Red Sox will look to get back on a winning track Friday night as they send Felix Doubront to the mound against Brian Duensing. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EST with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.

For the first time in five games, Mike Aviles will be making his return to the Red Sox lineup, batting ninth and playing shortstop. He’s been out with turf toe, but Sox fans haven’t minded too much given the strong performances provided by Pedro Ciriaco in his place.

With a lefty on the mound in Brian Duensing, the Sox will make the usual adjustments to their lineup, including moving Carl Crawford down to seventh, putting Kelly Shoppach in at catcher, and moving Cody Ross up in the order. Dustin Pedroia will bat second for the first time in a while, with Ryan Lavarnway taking over at DH and batting fifth.

Boston Red Sox (53-53)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Cody Ross, RF
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
5. Ryan Lavarnway, DH
6. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
7. Carl Crawford, LF
8. Kelly Shoppach, C
9. Mike Aviles, SS

Minnesota Twins (45-60)

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Ben Revere, RF
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Josh Willingham, DH
5. Justin Morneau, 1B
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Darin Mastroianni, LF
8. Brian Dozier, SS
9. Jamey Carroll, 2B

Red Sox Vs. Twins: Friday Game Time, TV Schedule And Probable Starters

The Boston Red Sox look to avenge last night's 5-0 loss as they take on the Minnesota Twins in game two of their four-game series Friday night at Fenway Park.

Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.37 ERA) will take the mound for the the Red Sox and will be looking to replicate his last start against the New York Yankees. In 6-1/3 innings of work, Doubront gave up just four hits and one run in Boston's 3-2 win on July 29.

Minnesota will counter with Brian Duensing (2-6,4.53 ERA), who is making just his second start after being moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Duensing's first start was a success, giving up five hits and one earned run in six innings of work against the Cleveland Indians on July 29.

Take a look here at the game schedule and broadcast information:

Date/Time: Friday, August 3, 7:10 p.m. ET

Location: Fenway Park

TV: NESN/Fox Sports North

Online streaming: MLB.tv

For more news, notes and analysis on the Boston Red Sox, check out Over the Monster. Then head over to Twinkie Town or the Minnesota Twins' fan perspective.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Final Score: Sox Held To Two Hits In 5-0 Loss To Twins

The Red Sox fell in embarrassing 5-0 fashion to the Twins Thursday night, scoring not a single run against the walk-happy Sam Deduno while Lester was the victim of some unlucky runs and Alfredo Aceves put the nail in the coffin by allowing a ninth-inning homer.

Jon Lester had been on a very bad run, making his first two innings all-the-more imnpressive. Striking out the first two batters he faced and three-of-six, Lester had sharp movement on his pitches and was looking, for once, like the old Lester.

Then came the third and bad luck. A comebacker off his glove, a ground ball just fair past the first base bag, and a flair just over the head of Pedro Ciriaco and into left cost the Red Sox a pair of runs.

Meanwhile, Deduno was surviving largely thanks to ground ball outs and bad timing by the Red Sox. Two baserunners reached in the first, and two in the fourth, but only one batter reached with fewer than two outs.

The Sox would repeat this act in the sixth, but that was all they would manage. With none of their balls in play finding holes, they were held to just two hits-both from Adrian Gonzalez. Lester would manage to survive through eight, allowing just the one extra run, but Alfredo Aceves gave up a two-run shot to put an end to the Sox' hopes once and for all.

For more on the Red Sox stay tuned to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Check out Baseball Nation for even more news around the Major Leagues.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 1

The Red Sox and Twins are set to start their four game series as Jon Lester and Sam Deduno face off in game one.

We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Fenway Park.

Twins 3, Red Sox 0, End 8th -- The Sox go 1-2-3, making this game all-but-over headed to the ninth.

Twins 3, Red Sox 0, Mid 8th -- Lester is through eight innings of three-run baseball with only the third run being really substantial. Unfortunately the offense has left him completely high-and-dry, so even his best outing in a long time doesn't seem to be destined for a win.

Twins 3, Red Sox 0, End 7th -- The Sox do not take advantage of Lester's benevolence, going 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning.

Twins 3, Red Sox 0, Mid 7th -- Lester gets another 1-2-3 frame to send the Sox to the bottom of the seventh still trailing by three.

Twins 3, Red Sox 0, End 6th -- More baserunners for the Red Sox, but once again they come with two outs, and the Sox can't pick up the decisive hit.

Twins 3, Red Sox 0, Mid 6th -- A pair of two-out doubles cost the Red Sox a third run in the sixth, but right now they need to get their offense going or the runs hardly matter.

Twins 2, Red Sox 0, End 5th -- Ryan Kalish grounds out, Pedro Ciriaco stikes out, and Jacoby makes it a symmetrical inning with his own ground ball to keep the Sox scoreless through five.

Twins 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 5th -- Lester is out of a jam after yet another well-placed ground ball gives the Twins a leadoff double. The next three grounders all find gloves, with Ryan Doumit moving to third on the first, being held on the second with the infield in, and heading back to the dugout after the third.

Twins 2, Red Sox 0, End 4th -- The Sox get their first hit of the night on an Adrian Gonzalez double down the left field line, and Ryan Lavarnway draws a walk behind him, but with both baserunners coming with two outs, all it takes is a Will Middlebrooks fly ball to end the inning.

Twins 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 4th -- Lester's luck bounces back, with a ground ball earning him a double play this time following a leadoff line drive into left field. A strikeout of Danny Valencia was good to get him out of the inning with three batters faced.

Twins 2, Red Sox 0, End 3rd -- Ground ball, ground ball, ground ball. The Red Sox are through three now without a hit to their names.

Twins 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 3rd -- An incredibly tough-luck inning costs Lester a pair of runs in the third. A come-backer gets it started for the Twins, deflecting off of Lester's glove and skirting past Pedro Ciriaco at short for a leadoff single. While Lester is able to grab the next couple of outs without difficulty, a ground ball that stays just fair past the bag at first gives the Twins a 1-0 lead, and a bloop over the head of Ciriaco makes it 2-0 without much in the way of contact. Only a diving play by Ryan Kalish on a ball practically on the infield dirt saves Lester more bad luck and ends the inning.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, End 2nd -- Ryan Lavarnway makes good contact in the second, but the Sox can't so much as get the ball out of the infield, with a diving play from Brian Dozier stopping the recently recalled catcher from reaching base.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 2nd -- Jon Lester rolls right along into the second, getting a pair of ground balls around a strikeout of Ryan Doumit earned by a beautiful curveball that dipped under and around the the catcher's bat for strike three.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, End 1st -- Deduno has a scoreless inning of his own, but it's not nearly so neat and tidy as Lester's. A long battle from Carl Crawford and a pair of two-out walks--including the third from Adrian Gonzalez in three games after going a month without--serve to drive his pitch count up to 26 by the time he manages to get an inning-ending pop-up from Cody Ross.

Red Sox 0, Twins 0, Mid 1st -- Not only is Lester through a scoreless first, but he's through a very impressive scoreless first. Both Denard Span and Ben Revere go down watching strike three, with Revere's comming on an 0-2 cutter with exceptional late movement, going from clearly inside to clearly in the zone in the blink of an eye. Josh Willingham does manage to put the bat on the ball, but only manages a lazy fly ball out to Jacoby Ellsbury in center field, who puts it away to end the innig.

Red Sox Vs. Twins Lineups: Ryan Lavarnway Starts Behind The Plate

The Red Sox will welcome the Twins into Fenway Park for the first of a four-game set Thursday night as they send Jon Lester to the mound against Sam Deduno. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EST with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.

The big news for the night is that, after a dismal July from Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and with Kelly Shoppach having hurt himself recently, Ryan Lavarnway will get the start behind the plate. It's not a shifting of the guard, by any means, and unless Shoppach ends up on the DL, Lavarnway is likely headed back to Pawtucket when David Ortiz comes back, but for now he'll get his chance to show why he deserves to be in Boston.

The big-slugging catcher will be batting sixth in the order, effectively replacing Saltalamacchia in what has become his traditional spot. With Cody Ross playing DH, the Sox will once again have all their outfielders in one basket, as it were.

Boston Red Sox (53-52)

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
5. Cody Ross, DH
6. Ryan Lavarnway, C
7. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
8. Ryan Kalish, RF
9. Pedro Ciriaco, SS

Minnesota Twins (40-64)

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Ben Revere, RF
3. Josh Willingham, DH
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Ryan Doumit, LF
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Brian Dozier, SS
8. Drew Butera, C
9. Alexi Casilla, 2B

For more on the Red Sox stay tuned to Over the Monster and SB Nation Boston. Check out Baseball Nation for even more news around the Major Leagues.

Red Sox Vs. Twins: Sox Out To Start New Winning Streak Against Minnesota

The Red Sox are looking to start a new winning streak as they welcome the lowly Twins into Fenway Park for a four game set.