Rafaela helps Red Sox avoid sweep in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Ceddanne Rafaela hit the first Red Sox home run in seven games, Rafael Devers added another, and Boston ended Minnesota’s 12-game winning streak by beating the Twins 9-2 on Sunday.

Vaughn Grissom and Dominic Smith had two-run doubles, and Boston ended a three-game slide in which it scored just four runs.

Ryan Jeffers homered and Trevor Larnach had an RBI single for Minnesota.

The Twins 12-game winning streak was tied for the second-longest in team history behind a 15win run in June 1991, the last season Minnesota won the World Series.

With one out in the fifth, Rafaela hit a full count offering from Joe Ryan into the first row of the left center field seats for a two-run home run and a 3-1 lead. Rafaela hit the team’s previous round-tripper in last Saturday’s 17-0 win over the Cubs.

Grissom had a two-run double for a 5-1 eighth-inning lead. Smith, the next batter, added a two-run double with the ball going off the glove of Manuel Margot who was battling the sun on a cloudless 69-degree afternoon.

Devers hit a two-run shot in the ninth.

Boston starter Cooper Criswell, who threw five shutout innings in each of his last two starts, allowed one earned run and struck out five in 4 1/3 innings, but needed 80 pitches to do so.

Brennan Bernardino (1-1), the first of five Red Sox relievers, earned the win.

Tossing his team-high fifth quality start of the season, Ryan (1-2) allowed four hits and three earned runs while striking out five.

With the season’s second-largest home crowd of 29,638 in attendance, Jeffers hit a solo home run in the third inning for a 1-0 lead, a frame after Minnesota had a golden opportunity for some early damage.

Max Kepler, Carlos Correa and Larnach each singled to start the Minnesota second, but Criswell struck out Willi Castro and Carlos Santana before Jose Miranda hit a harmless bouncer back to Criswell.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: LF Rob Refsnyder left the game in the fifth inning with left hamstring tightness.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (2-1, 1.56 ERA) gets the start Tuesday in Atlanta.