MINNEAPOLIS — Joe Ryan pitched a three-hitter for Minnesota’s first complete-game shutout in five years, Byron Buxton became the first player in at least nine seasons to hit a pair of 460-foot home runs in a game and the Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 6-0 Thursday.
Ryan (8-4) pitched his first complete game in 47 big league starts, striking out nine, walking none and facing no more than four batters in an inning. He had not pitched a complete game since 2018 for Cal State, Stanislaus.
Last Friday, Ryan allowed a season-high six runs against Detroit that raised his ERA in June to 5.03.
Buxton hit a 466-foot home run in the first inning and a 465-foot drive in the third, his ninth multi-homer game and first since June 10 last year. He is the first player with two 460-foot homers since Statcast started tracking in 2015.
Buxton is 5 for 11 with three homers and a double in his last three games after going 1 for 34 with 17 strikeouts in his prior 10 games. He has 13 home runs this season.
Minnesota got back to .500 at 38-38 and leads the AL Central.
After scoring 50 runs during a six-game winning streak, Boston has lost two in a row as Minnesota salvaged a series split.
Carlos Correa homered to the second deck in left field off Justin Garza (1-1), making his first career start as the Red Sox opener. Two batters later, Buxton hit a ball to the third deck, 3 feet shy of his longest career home run.
Buxton’s second home run landed in the second deck above the bullpens, a rarity at Target Field, and boosted the lead to 5-0 in the third inning.
Brandon Walter, a 26-year-old left-hander recalled from Triple-A Worcester, gave up Buxton’s home run. He allowed three earned runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings in his major league debut.
PAIR OF FIRSTS
In his first career start, Boston SS David Hamilton singled in the eighth for his first big league hit.
RED SOX ROSTER CHANGES
Boston C Reese McGuire (right oblique strain) went on the 10-day injured list and the contract of C Caleb Hamilton was selected from Worcester. OF Alex Verdugo was placed on the bereavement list and INF Yu Chang (hamate fracture) was transferred to the 60-day IL. The Red Sox also acquired RHP Tayler Scott from the Dodgers for cash and transferred RHP John Schreiber to the 60-day IL.
KEUCHEL JOINS TWINS
Former American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel has agreed to a minor league contract with Minnesota. The 35-year-old left-hander was 2-9 with a 9.20 ERA in 14 starts last year with the Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers. A two-time All-Star and 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, Keuchel is 101-91 with a 3.98 ERA in 257 starts and 11 relief appearances.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (4-4, 3.49) starts Friday’s series opener at the Chicago White Sox, who start RHP Lucas Giolito (5-4, 3.54).
Twins: A nine-game trip begins Friday at Detroit. Twins RHP Kenta Maeda (0-4, 9.00) is expected to be activated from the 15-day IL after recovering from a right triceps strain that has sidelined hi,m since April 27. LHP Joey Wentz (1-7, 6.82) is to start for Detroit.
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