MLB Recap · March 23, 2026

Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox: Final Score & Recap

MIN9
Final
BOS6

Line Score

Team123456789RHE
MIN0105000219131
BOS0020301006150

The Story

The Minnesota Twins defeated the Boston Red Sox 9-6 at JetBlue Park on March 23, 2026, overcoming a pregame environment where the DiamondIQ model's estimate gave Boston a 65 percent chance of winning at home. Minnesota scored five runs in the fourth inning to seize control, and despite a Red Sox rally in the fifth, the Twins added two more in the eighth to close the door, finishing with 13 hits against Boston's 15 in a game that was closer in the box score than the outcome suggested.

The decisive moment came in the top of the eighth inning when David Bañuelos connected on a home run off Aroldis Chapman, a swing that shifted win probability by 31.7 percent in Minnesota's favor and proved to be the single largest play of the game. Boston had kept itself alive through Connor Wong's fifth-inning double off Eric Orze, which added 19.7 percent to the Red Sox's win probability, and Ceddanne Rafaela's solo home run off Justin Topa in the seventh, worth 18.1 percent. But the Twins responded each time, with Orlando Arcia's fourth-inning single off Johan Oviedo contributing 12.2 percent and anchoring the big frame that originally broke the game open.

Among individual performers, Bañuelos led all batters with a combined WPA of plus-31.7 percent and a RE24 of plus-1.7, while Arcia finished at plus-19.3 percent WPA and plus-1.7 RE24 for his contributions across the game. On the mound, Cole Sands was Minnesota's most impactful reliever at plus-13.3 percent WPA, with Anthony Banda adding plus-7.9 percent and Garrett Whitlock contributing plus-6.6 percent for Boston. The DiamondIQ model finished with a final win probability of zero percent for the Red Sox, reflecting just how thoroughly Minnesota neutralized a game that had started firmly in Boston's favor.

Analysis generated by DiamondIQ's model.

Win Probability

755025MIN bats firstFinalBOS win %MIN win %
DiamondIQ model home win probability across the game (pre-game 64.7% → final 0%).

Biggest Plays by Win-Probability Added

David Bañuelos Home Run
Top 8th · off Aroldis Chapman
+31.7%
Connor Wong Double
Bot 5th · off Eric Orze
+19.7%
Ceddanne Rafaela Home Run
Bot 7th · off Justin Topa
+18.1%
Caleb Durbin Single
Bot 3rd · off Bailey Ober
+16.9%
Orlando Arcia Single
Top 4th · off Johan Oviedo
+12.2%

Top Batters by WPA

David Bañuelos+31.7%+1.7 RE24
Orlando Arcia+19.3%+1.7 RE24
Ceddanne Rafaela+17.7%+1.0 RE24

Top Pitchers by WPA

Full box score, pitch data, and the play-by-play timeline
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