Done.
BOSTON — The Red Sox erased another October question mark in the season’s penultimate game. Red-hot J.D. Drew made the emphatic statement on Saturday night, carrying Boston to a 6-4 victory over the Twins.
The win, coupled with the Indians’ loss to the Royals, gives the Red Sox home-field advantage for the entire postseason.
Drew entered the day on a seven-game RBI streak, which looked unsustainable when each of his first three plate appearances came without runners on base. Boston’s offense struggled for six listless innings against Minnesota starter Carlos Silva a night after clinching the American League East title.
The Red Sox first showed signs of life in the fourth. Drew hit a leadoff triple and Kevin Youkilis, who has battled right wrist pain since getting hit by a Chien-Ming Wang fastball on Sept. 15, cracked a high double to deep center, scoring Drew.
A sixth-inning Mike Lowell homer pulled the Red Sox within two runs and Silva left before the seventh. That set the stage for Drew, who entered with a .441 on-base percentage and a .542 slugging percentage this month, second only to David Ortiz among Red Sox regulars. After Coco Crisp and Alex Cora each singled with one out, and Lowell drove in Crisp, Drew blasted a 3-2 fastball into the right-field bleachers.
Boston starter Tim Wakefield, who had struggled since returning from back trouble, pitched seven strong innings, allowing just three earned runs.
courtesy: Red Steel via MLB.com