Minneapolis, MN -- (Sports Network) - Mike Lamb singled home the winning run in the ninth, as the Minnesota Twins rallied to down the Boston Red Sox, 7-6, in the opener of a four-game set from the Metrodome.
Jonathan Papelbon entered the game for Boston in the ninth and Delmon Young greeted the Red Sox closer with a single to center field. Matt Tolbert bunted him over to second and, after Adam Everett popped out in foul territory for out number two, Young stole third. Carlos Gomez worked a walk and swiped second to put the winning run in scoring position.
Lamb was buried in the count, but hit a soft fly ball off the end of the bat that fell in and won the game for Minnesota.
"I execute a pitch with two strikes and the job's done," Papelbon said. "It's that simple. I didn't do it."
Boof Bonser gave up six runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts over four-plus innings, while the bullpen tossed five scoreless innings of relief. The comeback made a winner out of Jesse Crain (1-1).
Second baseman Brendan Harris was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI before exiting in the sixth inning due to a tight right hamstring. Tolbert moved over from third to take Harris' spot in the field, and Lamb took over at the hot corner.
Everett doubled twice and scored a run for the Twins, who have won seven of their last nine contests.
"Everybody contributed the whole game," Everett said.
Jon Lester gave up five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, while Papelbon (2-2) blew his second save in as many chances.
Mike Lowell went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI for Boston, which has dropped two of three. Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek and Julio Lugo each had an RBI in defeat.
The Twins grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Harris singled to left field and moved to third when Joe Mauer singled to center. Mauer advanced to second on Jacoby Ellsbury's throw. Justin Morneau put the Twins on the board with an RBI groundout and Michael Cuddyer plated Mauer with an infield hit.
Boston scratched across two runs in the next frame. Youkilis struck out but reached on a wild pitch, swiped second and moved to third on a single by J.D. Drew. Varitek lined an RBI single to center and advanced to second when Gomez's throw hit the runner as he slid into third. Lugo evened the score with a chopper to the third baseman.
Minnesota took advantage of some clutch two-out hitting and a costly fielding error to regain the lead in the bottom of the second. After Everett doubled, Gomez hit an innocent-looking grounder to Lugo, who fumbled the ball and was unable to recover in time to nail the speedy center fielder at first. Gomez later stole second, and Harris provided the big blow with a two-run single to left.
Gomez's run-scoring single made it 5-2 in the fourth, but the Red Sox pulled ahead with four runs in the top of the fifth. Singles by Dustin Pedroia and Manny Ramirez sandwiched around a walk to David Ortiz loaded the bases for Lowell, who clubbed a two-run double and chased Bonser from the game.
Ramirez later scored when Youkilis grounded out and Juan Rincon's wild pitch allowed Lowell to cross the plate.
The Twins threatened in the sixth, but the tying run was cut down at home. With Young on first and two down, Everett lined a double to center. Young motored around the bases, but was nailed at the plate on a perfect relay throw from Pedroia.
Game Notes
Ortiz has a nine-game hitting streak (16-for-39)...Gomez stole two bases and now has 15 on the season...Boston left 11 men on base, while the Twins stranded five...Minnesota placed pitcher Pat Neshek on the 15-day disabled list with an acute partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will not throw for at least three months. The club called up pitcher Glen Perkins from Rochester of the International League to fill the vacant roster spot...Boston won four of the seven meetings against the Twins last season...Attendance was 25,477.
