Two of them, of course. He’s become a doubles machine.
With a two-base hit that drove in two runs off Chris Sale in the sixth inning and another that launched a four-run eighth, Escobar led for the Twins to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
”I don’t know if he can keep up that kind of torrid pace, but we’re seeing a guy who is supremely confident,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Robby Scott (0-1), just recalled from Triple-A, relieved Sale to start the eighth and walked the first two batters. Joe Kelly entered, and Escobar’s one-out line drive bounced in front of Jackie Bradley Jr. and skipped past the center fielder as two runs scored. The official scorer later changed his ruling from a single to a double, giving Escobar a majors-leading 32 for the season. Robbie Grossman broke the game open with a two-run triple.
Escobar is on a season-long pace for 75 doubles, which would blow by Earl Webb’s record of 67 doubles in 1931 for the Red Sox.
”Let me tell you: If they don’t catch the ball I’m going to run to second base, 100 percent,” Escobar said. ”My mentality when I make contact with the ball is to run all the way to second base.”
Escobar, who will be a free agent in the fall, has for the fourth straight season been slated for a utility role only to hit his way into regular duty after a setback in the infield. This year, injury and ineffectiveness for third baseman Miguel Sano paved Escobar’s way into the everyday lineup.
”If he doesn’t have a double a day Authentic Cody Latimer Jersey , it’s like a disappointment right now. He’s unbelievable. He always finds a barrel,” said teammate Trevor Hildenberger, who struck out American League RBI leader J.D. Martinez with runners at second and third to end the seventh after relieving Jose Berrios.
The Red Sox went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
”Whenever you have a chance, you have to catch him,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.
MOUND MASTERY
The late surge masked a classic pitching duel between Sale and Berrios, the six-time All-Star against the budding ace. Sale retired the first 14 batters he faced before Ehire Adrianza’s soft roller to Rafael Devers at third base went for an infield single.
With a two-out home run by Devers in the sixth off Berrios, the Red Sox were in control. All it took was a single by Ryan LaMarre and a hit by pitch for Joe Mauer, though, to start a rally in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Escobar drove a 1-1 slider near the dirt from Sale down the left-field line for a 2-1 lead. Escobar pumped his arms back and forth before clapping and pointing at his teammates in the dugout.
”You know this guy. Every pitch is nasty,” said Escobar, once a minor league teammate of Sale’s in the Chicago White Sox system. ”I guess I made good contact.”
Sale finished seven innings, the 12th time in 16 starts this season he has logged at least six. This was the 11th turn in which he’s yielded two runs or fewer and his fifth double-digit strikeout performance. In his last three starts, he has allowed only 11 hits in 21 innings. Yet the Red Sox are only 8-8 with him on the mound.
”I’m not going to hang my head about it. I know these guys in here want to win. I know they’re not doing anything different on my day,” Sale said. ”Maybe I’ll bring popsicles or something for the boys.”
REED RELIEF
Struggling Twins right-hander Addison Reed, who has appeared in only one of the previous six games Rasmus Dahlin Sabres Jersey , has been at least temporarily removed from his setup role. Zach Duke (3-2) took the eighth inning instead and, with two outs, surrendered Sandy Leon’s tying single that drove in Devers.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia, who has played in only three games this season because of inflammation in his left knee, has still not been cleared for baseball activities since returning to the DL three weeks ago. The lack of progress has been concerning, Cora acknowledged. ”It was major surgery. We didn’t know what to expect. So we are where we are now, hoping that, yeah, he’ll be back. When? We don’t know,” Cora said.
Twins: RHP Ervin Santana, yet to appear this season because of a slow recovery from surgery on his middle finger, threw a 35-pitch bullpen session before the game. He’ll face live hitters on Friday, another step forward after his setback last month.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP David Price (8-4, 3.76 ERA) pitches Wednesday night. He is 6-0 in his last seven starts, with two runs or fewer allowed in all but one of those, when he gave up three runs. Price is 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA in his career against the Twins.
Twins: RHP Lance Lynn (4-5 Youth Arizona Cardinals Jerseys , 4.98 ERA) takes the mound in the middle game of the series. He’s 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA over his last five turns, with a .195 batting average against him and 30 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings.
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The 2018 NFL season is less than two months away from kickoff, and USA Today has already unleashed its predictions for what should be yet another epic and memorable campaign.But聽even though fans enjoy seeing what the experts predict every year, we know that every projection is met with harsh criticism. Nate Davis of USA Today Sports projected every team's record for the upcoming season, which you can see below.It's NFL prediction time! @ByNateDavis picks all 267 games (including Super Bowl LIII): https://t.co/0R3nkKYvvs pic.twitter.com/sXQXqJeHxZ— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) July 19, 2018Obviously, it's surprising to see Davis giving the Seattle Seahawks聽just four wins last season. They lost a handful of their impact players on defense this offseason, but Russell Wilson is among the game's elite quarterbacks and should help them salvage at least a .500 season.Coming off their first playoff berth in 18 years, the Buffalo Bills upgraded at quarterback by signing A.J. McCarron and drafting Josh Allen. However, Davis gives the Bills just three wins in 2018.But other than that, none of Davis' other projections look all too bold. He projects massive turnarounds for the Denver Broncos (5-11 in 2017), and Houston Texans (4-12), which seems possible as long as both teams stay healthy.Nonetheless, the usual critics ripped the USA Today NFL projections.The USA Today NFL Predictions are such a joke.— Christian Lemke (@ChrisLemke23) July 20, 2018Let鈥檚 look at how accurate @ByNateDavis @USATODAY was on his 2017 @NFL predictions?#nope pic.twitter.com/vKzd9qHdJn— Paul Dutzy (@honolulubluefan) July 20, 2018USA Today's NFL predictions are always garbage— Pete (@pdaniels845) July 20 James Daniels Color Rush Jersey , 2018As for Super Bowl 53, Davis projects that the Atlanta Falcons will get over their unbelievable meltdown from two years ago against the New England Patriots. He has Matt Ryan and co. winning Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers. If Davis is right, the Falcons will become the first team to win a Super Bowl in their own city. Again, it's important to know that every expert will be criticized for his or her predictions, with the popular accusation being that they hate your favorite team. At the end of the day, there's only one winner, and only Chargers and Falcons fans will happily agree with Davis' projections.Remember folks, it's only a game, and season predictions are all good and fun. Find us somebody who picked the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl 52, or a person who had the Jacksonville Jaguars reaching the 2017 AFC Championship. At the end of the day, predictions have nothing to do with what will happen in the 2018 season..
