Porcello allowed one hit in seven innings Noah Fant Jersey , Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi homered, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 Thursday to avoid a series sweep.

Xander Bogaerts had two RBIs for the Red Sox, who had a season-high 16 hits, and finished 6-4 on a road trip through Baltimore, Seattle and Minnesota.

”We definitely needed a win today, especially to end this long road trip after dropping the first two games to these guys,” Porcello said.

He was dominant in a game that was 2-0 through six innings.

After a first-inning single by Logan Morrison, ending a 0-for-30 stretch against Boston, Porcello (9-3) retired 19 of 20 Twins hitters, including the last 16. Throwing 97 pitches, he struck out five and walked one.

Porcello finished seven innings for the first time in 10 starts since April 29. His best previous start of the season was April 12 against the Yankees, when he allowed two hits and struck out six in seven innings.

Last Friday in Seattle, Porcello allowed four earned runs and seven hits in six innings. But his mood was much different in the final inning.

”I was just pitching a lot more relaxed, the delivery was smooth and I executed Dalton Risner Jersey , so I tried to carry that with the tempo and everything into today,” he said.

”He was under control,” said manager Alex Cora.

Kyle Gibson (2-5) allowed seven hits and two earned runs in six innings for Minnesota, striking out five for his ninth quality start this season. He had only 10 in 2017 and eight in 2016.

Betts hit the first pitch of the fifth inning into the front row of seats in right-center for a 2-0 lead. He finished with three hits and has reached base eight times in his last three games.

”He likes to take a lot of first pitches and then once in a while ambushes, and he got him that time,” said Twins manager Paul Molitor.

The Red Sox were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position, finishing the three-game series 7 for 36.

”It was a just couple tough days,” Betts said. ”We came out ready to swing it and we just showed what we can do.”

Bogaerts’ two-run double keyed a three-run seventh against Ryan Pressly. Benintendi hit a two-run shot in the eighth.

PREPARATION PAID OFF

With left-handed hitting Joe Mauer up, Betts, playing right field, shifted to right-center and barely had to move to catch a fly ball. Betts then waved a card telling him where to play toward the dugout.

”It was an extreme one from the analytical department,” Cora said. ”. I’m glad that it happened. They believe in what we’re doing, but sometimes they see something extremely out of the ordinary. I was the happiest guy, like `Thank God they hit it right there.”’

PORCELLO PURPOSE?

Porcello moved into a tie for the American League with his 10th hit batsman in the first Drew Lock Jersey , when he knocked Eduardo Escobar down with a fastball that plunked the major league leader in doubles just above his right elbow. Escobar stayed in the game for two more innings, but was removed after striking out in the third, and was diagnosed with a bruise.

In the top of the inning, J.D. Martinez had to hit the dirt to dodge a high-and-inside pitch from Gibson.

”It didn’t look particularly good to me,” said Molitor, pausing to choose his words carefully.

Said Escobar, through an interpreter: ”I respect Porcello a lot. He’s one of the best pitchers in the league. If he did it on purpose, I don’t really know what the purpose is behind it. I’ve never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself, and we’ll just move on.”

Gibson hit Sandy Leon with a pitch in the sixth. In the game Tuesday, Red Sox starter Chris Sale hit Mauer before Jose Berrios plunked Betts and Mauer was hit again by reliever Robby Scott.

TRAINERS ROOM

Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz, out since June 5 with left biceps tendinitis, is expected to get on a mound this weekend and throw a bullpen session, according to Cora.

Twins: OF Eddie Rosario missed the game with a sore throwing shoulder. He is considered day to day. Since May 1, Rosario is hitting .364 with a league-best 68 hits in that span http://www.cardinalscheapstore.com/zach-allen-jersey-cheap , including 16 doubles and 13 home runs.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Open a six-game homestand Friday with RHP Steven Wright (2-1, 1.23) scheduled to start against Seattle LHP Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 2.63).

Twins: Welcome Texas on Friday for a three-game weekend series with RHP Fernando Romero (3-2, 4.17) to face the Rangers’ LHP Mike Minor (4-4. 5.35).

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DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos don’t have much time to wallow in their misery this week.“The great thing about it is we have a game on Thursday, so we can’t get caught up in this game,” Von Miller said after the Broncos lost their fourth straight , 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday when Todd Gurley ran over them for a career-high 208 yards and two TDs on 28 carries.The battered Broncos (2-4) visit ailing Arizona (1-5) on Thursday night in a matchup of two of the NFL’s worst teams.“It’s tough, but that’s the perfect cure for us,” embattled Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “We’ve lost four in a row, have a chance to play in four days and get a win. That’s important for our team.”There were nearly 10,000 no-shows on a frigid afternoon at Mile High with a game-time temperature of 25 degrees following an overnight snowstorm, and it was the “sunny L.A. boys ” as Broncos nose tackle Domata Peko called them last week, who handled the wintry weather better than the Broncos.“It goes to show you that we can come and play in different elements,” Rams receiver Brandin Cooks said. “I think that is a huge confidence boost for our team Andy Isabella Jersey , to come out here in the snow and do what we did.”Those who were in attendance let the home team have it after another mistake-filled performance in which cornerback Bradley Roby got burned again and left tackle Garett Bolles squelched yet another scoring opportunity with yet another holding call.The Broncos were booed off the field in the first half following Bolles’ NFL-worst sixth hold of the season — he led the league last year with 10 of them.Quarterback Case Keenum drew the fans’ ire after his eighth interception and a 14-yard sack by Aaron Donald when he had plenty of time to throw the ball away after leaving the pocket.The crowd cheered wildly when his backup, Chad Kelly, made his NFL debut, going in for a kneel-down at the end of the first half while Keenum was being checked out for a possible concussion.“Yeah, I’ve heard it. It’s not the first time that the crowd’s been unhappy with what’s going on on the field,” said Keenum, who was cleared and played the entire second half. “They should be (ticked). I’m (ticked). We have to do better.”Keenum has already thrown one more interception than he did last season in Minnesota and he’s the only quarterback in the league who has had a pass picked off every game so far.Don’t expect Kelly to supplant Keenum anytime soon, though.“No. Case is our quarterback,” Joseph insisted. “He did some good things today. It wasn’t obviously perfect, but he moved the ball. Again, we had a chance to get 10 more points there. We got two holding penalties, and Emmanuel (Sanders)’ penalty. We all can play better. It’s been four in a row. We can all play better.”Other takeaways from the Broncos’ continued foibles and the Rams’ first 6-0 start since 2001:COSTLIEST FLAGEmmanuel Sanders’ taunting call on what he thought was a 44-yard TD catch hurt the Broncos when a review showed he was actually down at the 1. The 15-yard penalty, instead of being enforced on the kickoff, pushed the Broncos back to the 16. They ended up with a field goal instead of seven points — which would have made all the difference.“I guess this loss is on me Jamel Dean Jersey ,” Sanders said.KUPP SCARERams receiver Cooper Kupp was carted off the field with a left knee injury after being taken down on a horse-collar tackle by Broncos safety Darian Stewart in the second quarter. Kupp, however, made a surprising return in the second half.“It is one of those things where you look at that and get worried real quick,” Cooks said. “I just said a prayer.”Kupp said he didn’t begrudge Stewart, either.“I know he wasn’t doing it with any kind of malice or anything like that,” Kupp said. “He checked on me during the game, and when I came out there in the second half he asked if I was good.”Rams coach Sean McVay said Kupp and guard Roger Saffold III (knee) would be re-evaluated Monday.JUST GLOVELYRams QB Jared Goff went with gloves on both hands in the chilly conditions. He completed 14 of 28 passes for 201 yards and an interception on his 24th birthday.“It’s kind of a give-and-take and I felt more comfortable with them,” Goff said.Goff was sacked five times, including three by rookie linebacker Bradley Chubb.