Carroll gives Twins victory over Sox
BOSTON (AP) -- Don't be fooled by their record. The Minnesota Twins have a lot of fight in them.
Propelled by Jamey Caroll and Justin Morneau, the Twins came back from a four-run deficit to earn a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings on Friday night.
"(We) keep battling," said Carroll, who went 4 for 4 and had the game-winning single in the 10th inning. "They got ahead early, but we felt like there was plenty of time. We've always seemed to come back and make it close. A lot of times, we haven't been able to get over the hump. It seems like lately we've found a way to get the big hit."
Darin Mastroianni led off the 10th with a double. After third baseman Will Middlebrooks made a spectacular diving catch on a foul ball by Brian Dozier, Carroll singled off Vicente Padilla (4-1).
The Twins have won six of eight, including the first two games in a four-game series at Fenway Park.
Morneau also went 4 for 4 with two doubles, but early in the game it appeared he could end up being more goat than hero.
"It was probably the most embarrassed I've been on a baseball," Morneau said of dropping Carl Crawford's foul ball outside first base in the third inning. What would have been the third out turned into three runs when Crawford hammered the next pitch into the Red Sox bullpen, giving the Red Sox a 5-1 lead.
"I thought I could have probably fit under first base if I could have crawled under there."
Morneau got an opportunity to atone for the error in the fifth inning. Red Sox starter Felix Doubront walked Joe Mauer to load the bases and then walked the next batter, Josh Willingham, to make it 5-2. Morneau hit a soft two-run single and the Twins made it 5-all on a sacrifice fly by Danny Valencia.
The Twins held the Red Sox scoreless from the third inning on. Twins starter Brian Duensing went six innings and gave up five runs, only two of them earned, but it was Jeff Gray (6-1) who pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win and weathered Boston threats in the eighth and ninth innings.
"Gray gave us a really big performance," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
With bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, Gray came in and got Dustin Pedroia to fly out. In the ninth, he surrendered a two-out double to Ryan Lavernway, but got Middlebrooks to ground to third base to end the inning.
"We had chances. We just didn't come through," Pedroia said. "They made some good pitches. It's to their credit, too. It's just tough."
Jared Burton picked up his fourth save of the season in six chances.
Morneau scored the first run of the game in the second. He doubled and Mastroianni singled past a drawn-in infield.
Carl Crawford homered, doubled, singled and drove in three runs for the Red Sox. It was his third homer of the week.
NOTES: With his two doubles, Morneau passed Gary Gaetti for sole possession of sixth place on the Twins all-time list with 253. ... Boston RHP Josh Beckett was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday because of a lower back injury. Franklin Morales will fill Beckett's slot. ... Injured Red Sox slugger David Ortiz took batting practice and did some running drills before the game. The designated hitter has been on the DL since July 17 with a right Achilles strain. ... Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey, who has missed the entire season after having right thumb surgery, will pitch for Double-A Portland on Sunday. ... The Red Sox Hall of Fame Class of 2012, including Curt Schilling, Marty Barrett and Ellis Burks, was honored during a midday induction ceremony and again before the game.