Caratini, Jeffers hit 2 of Minnesota's 4 homers in a 13-6 win over Red Sox

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Caratini and Ryan Jeffers each homered and drove in three runs on Monday and the Minnesota Twins knocked out Boston starter Garrett Crochet in the second inning en route to a 13-6 victory.

Jeffers had three of the Twins' 11 hits, while Ryan Kreidler and Byron Buxton also homered. Minnesota has won seven of its last eight games.

Bailey Ober (2-0) allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out seven in six innings.

Jarren Duran homered and Caleb Durbin had two hits and scored two runs for Boston.

The Twins ambushed Crochet with four runs in the first inning, then knocked out Boston's ace lefty with a seven-run second. Crochet (2-2) allowed 11 runs — 10 earned — on nine hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings, the shortest start of his career.

The big blows in the second came from two new faces hitting their first home runs with the Twins. Caratini hit a three-run blast off the facing of the third deck in left field. Then Kreidler, a light-hitting utility infielder with two career home runs, sent Crochet's last pitch into the second deck in left for a solo homer.

The Twins posted a 13-23 record against left-handed starters last year. But in the last seven days, they have beaten Detroit's Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, Toronto's Eric Lauer and now Crochet. In those four outings, the Twins scored 29 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings pitched by the starters.

Buxton's solo homer in the fifth was the 85th of his career at Target Field, moving past Max Kepler to become the all-time leader at the Twins' ballpark.

Twins RHP Mick Abel (0-2, 6.08 ERA) will face Boston RHP Sonny Gray (2-0, 2.76) in the second game of the series on Tuesday.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Monday, April 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) winds up to deliver during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Monday, April 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story tries to field an infield single hit by Minnesota Twins' Brooks Lee during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Ryan Kreidler (5) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Monday, April 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed one hit in six strong innings and Brandon Lowe homered for the third time in two games, driving in five runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates steamrolled the Washington Nationals 16-5 to begin a four-game series Monday night.

Skenes (3-1) struck out six and walked one, throwing a career-high 32 changeups among his 88 pitches while improving to 7-1 in his last 11 home starts. The only run he gave up came on a first-inning homer by CJ Abrams.

Lowe went 3 for 5 with a two-run single in the second and his sixth homer — a three-run shot in the Pirates' 10-run sixth. He had a grand slam and a solo shot Sunday at Wrigley Field in a 7-6 loss to the Cubs.

Lowe became the first Pirates player to knock in at least five runs in consecutive games since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.

Oneil Cruz reached base four straight times for Pittsburgh and went 2 for 3 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. He had three RBIs and scored three runs.

Bryan Reynolds had a bases-loaded triple in the sixth and an RBI single in the second. He finished with three of the team's 16 hits.

Pittsburgh has scored 38 runs in Skenes' four starts this season after totaling 37 runs in his first 11 outings last year.

Skenes struck out three in the first, but Abrams hit a 99.5 mph fastball on a full count for his fifth home run and a 1-0 lead.

Cruz's bases-loaded walk tied it in the second against Cade Cavalli (0-1) before Lowe's two-run single and Reynolds' run-scoring single chased the right-hander after he allowed four runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Spencer Horwitz hit his first homer of the season leading off the third against Paxton Schultz for a 5-1 advantage.

Konnor Griffin added an RBI single in Pittsburgh's 10-run sixth.

José Urquidy allowed six hits and four runs, two on Jacob Young's second homer, as the Nationals batted around in the seventh. Evan Sisk worked two innings and struck out the side on 10 pitches in the ninth to end it.

Position player Joey Wiemer pitched the eighth for the Nats and allowed Joey Bart's sacrifice fly.

Nationals RHP Miles Mikolas (0-3, 12.41 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.00).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrates as he stands on first base after driving in a run with a single off Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (not shown) during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum (28) and Henry Davis, left rear, score on a single by Brandon Lowe off Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams (5) is greeted by first base coach Corey Ray (23) as he rounds first after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, left, during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)