AROUND THE HORN
Twins: Jorge Polanco and Kyle Garlick hit early two-run homers over the Green Monster to back Dylan Bundy, carrying the Twins past the Red Sox 8-3 in Boston’s annual Patriots’ Day game on Monday. The game started at 11:11 a.m. EDT, played in conjunction with the 126th Boston Marathon, which ended about one mile from Fenway Park. Polanco added a two-run single in a fourrun eighth inning and Gio Urshela had three singles for the Twins, who won the series finale for a four-game split. Christian Vázquez hit a solo homer and Xander Bogaerts had three hits with an RBI for the Red Sox. Bundy (2-0) gave up one run and five hits in 5 innings with six strikeouts and no walks. In his Twins debut, he pitched five shutout innings. A few minutes after fans were turning on the back of the Monster attempting to get a glimpse at the men’s leaders of the marathon, Polanco hit his drive into the second row of seats off starter Rich Hill (0-1) that made it 4-0 in the third. Hill was pitching three days after his 94-yearold father, Lloyd Sr., passed away. His dad ran 37 Boston Marathons. He gave up four runs and six hits in 4 innings.
Red Sox: C Kevin Plawecki tested positive for COVID-19 along with two staff members, Cora said before the Red Sox’s loss to the Twins. Cora said the 31-year-old Plawecki is vaccinated. He was placed on the COVID-19 related list. Cora didn’t want to talk about whom the staff members were. The announcement came a day after Cora said the Red Sox expect to be without multiple unvaccinated players for an upcoming series against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Starting pitcher Tanner Houck told the Boston Globe on Sunday that he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19 and won’t pitch during the fourgame series beginning April 25. He would have been in line to start the second game. To enter Canada, the Canadian government requires a person must have received a second COVID-19 vaccine dose — or one dose of Johnson & Johnson — at least 14 days prior to entry. Players sidelined by COVID19 vaccine issues aren’t paid and don’t accrue major league service time while on the restricted list.
Braves All-Star OF Ronald Acuña Jr. will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday as he nears a return from the torn right ACL that ended his 2021 season . ... Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout was out of the Angels’ lineup for a series opener against the Astros, a day after he was hit on his left hand by a pitch. Team trainer Mike Frostad said an MRI was negative for a fracture and that Trout has a bruise. Frostad added the 30-year-old Trout’s return to the lineup will depend on pain tolerance . ... RHP Jake Arrieta announced that he’s retiring after a 12-season career. Arrieta, 36, won the NL Cy Young in 2015 when he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA for the Cubs and earned his lone All-Star selection the following season when he went 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA. He also helped the Cubs end their long World Series drought in 2016. In the 2015 and 2016 seasons he threw two no-hitters.