Trevor Story homered and drove in five runs Wednesday to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Minnesota Twins 9-5.
Connelly Early (1-0) allowed one run, two hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings, the longest of his eight major league starts.
Andruw Monasterio had three of Boston’s 13 hits. Ceddanne Rafaela, batting second in the order for only the second time in his major league career, went 1 for 3 with a walk.
Simeon Woods Richardson (0-3) allowed seven runs — six earned — on 10 hits and three walks in five innings.
Austin Martin had two hits, including a home run. Ryan Kreidler hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning for the Twins, who suffered their second loss in 10 games.
Martin homered in the first inning, but Boston scored five in the third and two in the fifth and sixth to take a 9-1 lead.
Boston took advantage of a double error in the third inning by second baseman Luke Keaschall, who fielded Masataka Yoshida’s RBI hit, dropped the ball while trying to throw to second base and then threw it past first baseman Josh Bell, allowing a second run to score.
Story followed up on the next pitch with his second home run of the season, a three-run shot. He added a two-run double in the sixth inning against Anthony Banda.
