Favorite moments with the Twins and Red Sox

Every time the Boston Red Sox appear on the Minnesota Twins’ schedule, my interest tends to perk up a bit. I think there are two reasons for this:

1. I lived through the 2004 postseason, where the BoSox were the heroes to the Yankee Evil Empire. I honestly don’t know if I’d ever be able to see those red-and-white uniforms and think of them as “the bad guys” in any context.
2. I harbor a love for old stadiums, so I thoroughly enjoy the throwback nature of Fenway Park. If it were up to me, all ballparks would have little quirks like the Green Monster, Pesky’s Pole, & a Bermuda Triangle in center field.

I also can recall some great Twins/Sox matchups during my baseball-watching years thus far:

In 1998, on a 6th grade class field trip, I was in the Dome to see Pat Meares plate Denny Hocking for a 2-1 extra-inning victory. The starter for Boston that day? Pedro Martinez.

I’ll never forget watching Curt Schilling lock up with Johan Santana in 2006, only to see Jason Kubel end it on a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning.

On a May night in 2014 when most MN TVs were tuned into a crucial Wild/Blackhawks playoff hockey contest, my set was—as usual—locked into baseball. David Ortiz hit two bombs off Ricky Nolasco (surprise, surprise), but Chris Parmelee got ahold of an Andrew Miller offering in the bottom of the ninth and put it over the RF limestone.

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

A few years later, with the ‘17 bunch enjoying a nice resurgence, my sister and I were at Target Field to witness Joe Mauer hit an utterly unexpected two-out walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth (I believe the only game-ending homer of Mauer’s career).

Of course, who could forget the 5 hour and 45 minute assault on Commissioner Rob Manfred’s very soul in 2019, ending with Max Kepler singling home Luis Arraez in the bottom of the 17th.

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

Tuesday night’s series-opening contest at 4 Yawkey Way was another wild one. The Twins jumped out to an early lead, the Sox then came alive and threatened to turn it into a laugher (going up 9-4), but the Twins kept battling back into the later innings despite the 11-9 final margin of defeat.

In last year’s shortened season the Twins & Red Sox didn’t square off against each other, a “rivalry” (though it is nothing of the sort) that I missed watching. Whether at Fenway or the homestead, it has been nice to see the two clubs re-establish their relationship in 2021.