BOSTON -- Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona is setting himself up for a spirited return to Boston this week. His Cleveland Indians are in first place in the AL Central, 2.5 games ahead of Detroit, where the Indians visit for two games prior to arriving in Boston for a four-game set beginning Thursday night.
CHICAGO -- Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey, who was activated Monday after being out since April 28 with biceps tendinitis, said Monday he “feels as good today as I did day one” and looks forward to returning to closing for the Sox.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Through his first three years in Boston, it would have been tough to classify John Lackey as anything other than a disappointment. The right-hander, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the team before the 2010 season, had a 4.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Red Sox left Minnesota much later than they had planned on Sunday afternoon. But they left with the sweep they were looking for. John Lackey was perfect through four innings, allowed one hit through six, and after a three-hour rain delay cut the right-hander's day short, the Red Sox bullpen fended off a late Twins rally to secure a 5-1 victory on Sunday at Target Field.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Red Sox and Twins went into a rain delay at 4:30 p.m. ET, with the Red Sox leading 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning as they looked for a series sweep at Target Field. John Lackey took a perfect game into the fifth inning, and had given up only one hit.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Closer Andrew Bailey is likely to be activated from the disabled list in time for Monday's game in Chicago after making a rehab appearance at Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday night. Bailey, who has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a strained right biceps, was scheduled to join the Red Sox in Minneapolis on Sunday, manager John Farrell said.
MINNEAPOLIS -- David Ortiz has told the story many times of his first spring with the Red Sox, how he morphed from being a raw hitter to "Big Papi" after the team removed the shackles the Minnesota Twins had placed on him early in his career.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Two weeks after a series against the Minnesota Twins sent them on a long slide, the Red Sox have used their return set to get on a roll. Behind David Ortiz's first two-homer game since last summer, the Red Sox beat the Twins 12-5 on Saturday night, winning the first two games of the series and extending their winning streak to four.
Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey pitched one inning in a rehab outing for Pawtucket on Saturday night against Indianapolis, allowing one run and two hits (a home run to outfielder Brett Carroll and a double to catcher Tony Sanchez) while striking out two.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Red Sox fielded an unorthodox lineup for the second straight day at Target Field on Saturday, and Shane Victorino's back wasn't the only one manager John Farrell had to worry about. Shortstop Stephen Drew also was out of Farrell's lineup on Saturday because of back troubles, leading Farrell to start Pedro Ciriaco against left-hander Scott Diamond and the Minnesota Twins.
MORE MLB COVERAGE
