Twins 4, Red Sox 2: Mostly lackluster, though it got interesting in the ninth
But not interesting enough to pull out a win
May 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) is restrained by players after a confrontation after being tagged out at home plate during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Recap Jovani Moran had the responsibility to keep the Twins in check for the first inning in order to provide a soft landing for Brayan Bello in his bulk-pitching era. Well, today wasn’t that day: Moran allowed hits to the first three Twins batters, then a run-scoring sacrifice fly immediately after that.
Despite needing all the help he could get, Bello entered the game with a 2-0 deficit. Bellow twice got into a bases loaded jam and threw 20+ pitches. The Sox bats were silent until the fourth.
This inning also featured a clearing of the benches as the inning ended, after Willson Contreras ran through Twins catcher Victor Caratini but didn’t beat the throw. The fifth inning featured Contreras’ first error of the season, and an extremely close play at the plate that was challenged but ultimately didn’t go the Sox way. Bello didn’t do himself any favors in the inning either, loading the bases for the second time (albeit with help from Contreras’ E) in another high-pitch inning.
He also thoughtlessly deflected a ball in play, which looked like it was headed toward being cleanly fielded by Mayer, but scored a run instead. Two more runs crossed the plate, 4-1 Twins. Though Bello didn’t melt down, it wasn’t a good outing.