Berrios labors through finale against Red Sox

BOSTON -- The Twins entered their four-game set at Fenway Park riding a three-game winning streak and took the first game of the series. But they left town as sellers, after the decision to trade Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Pressly on Friday, and also exited with three straight losses.
Right-hander José Berríos scuffled in the finale, lasting 4 2/3 innings, in a 3-0 defeat to the Red Sox on Sunday. It dropped the Twins nine games behind the first-place Indians in the American League Central heading into their three-game series against Cleveland that begins on Monday.
"He had trouble commanding the fastball, which led to other issues with his breaking ball," said acting manager Derek Shelton, who is at the helm with Paul Molitor in Cooperstown, N.Y., until Monday. "We've seen him command his fastball throughout the season. But today, it just wasn't the command he's usually had."
Berrios was off from the start, loading the bases with one out, only to escape the jam. He wasn't as fortunate in the second -- as he again loaded the bases but served up a two-run double to J.D. Martinez. Martinez did damage again in the fourth, ripping an RBI single off the Green Monster to score Andrew Benintendi after a double.
"They had a lot of baserunners the first three innings," Berrios said through an interpreter. "They were attacking me very well. Really good hitters. I couldn't locate my pitches early on, but my mentality was to keep attacking hitters."

Berrios gave up nine hits -- including three doubles -- and walked three before being removed in the fifth after giving up a single to Mookie Betts with two outs. It was the fifth time in 22 starts this season that Berrios couldn't get through five frames. Lefty Gabriel Moya came on and got out of the inning, while fellow lefty Adalberto Mejía threw three scoreless innings in relief.
"Moya struggled a little bit yesterday, but came in and got Benintendi out," Shelton said. "And Mejia went through their lineup kind of like [Kyle] Gibson did [on Thursday] with his fastball and changeup -- [and] with his slider when he needed to. I think those are two positives to take out of today."
The offense, meanwhile, was held in check by right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was making his Red Sox debut after being traded from the Rays. Eovaldi, who gave up eight runs on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings against the Twins on July 13, scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings. He was helped by an incredible diving catch by center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to rob Bobby Wilson of extra bases in the third.
"I wish we would've seen the version of Eovaldi we saw before the break," Shelton said. "The one thing different was he displayed a curveball he didn't throw last time. Efficient is the right word."
The Twins remain winless since becoming sellers -- and more moves are expected before Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, with impending free agents such as Brian Dozier, Lance Lynn and Fernando Rodney all possible trade candidates.
"Those are things that are out of my control -- and the rest of my teammates' control," Berrios said. "What we can do is just stay together and keep playing. My mentality is we can still turn this around and make something happen."
MORRISON NOT HAPPY WITH EDDINGS
Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings got into confrontations with both Twins and Red Sox players, including Brock Holt after a called third strike in the third and Eddie Rosario after a called check swing in the sixth. Eddings took his mask off both times and also got into it with Berrios in the first after Berrios asked about a pitch location on a walk to Martinez.
Minnesota first baseman Logan Morrison expressed his frustration with the situation postgame.
"I don't think he's a terrible umpire, by any means," Morrison said. "But the way he acted today, to both teams, that's not the way the game goes. ... Nobody came to see Doug Eddings umpire. They came to watch the Red Sox and Twins."
Eddings was not available for comment.
HE SAID IT
"I think you have to maintain course. We made a couple of trades before the Deadline. In the last 48 hours, things can heat up. I mean, who knows what happens in the game if somebody gets hurt, if somebody wants to push the pedal down and go after somebody else. But I think you just maintain course and go." -- Shelton.
UP NEXT
After a 10-game road trip, the Twins return home to host the first-place Indians in a three-game series that begins on Monday night at 7:10 p.m. CT. Right-hander Ervin Santana (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his second start of the season after allowing three runs over five innings against the Blue Jays. His fastball averaged roughly 90 mph, as he's still building arm strength after undergoing surgery on his right middle finger in February. The Indians will start rookie right-hander Shane Bieber (5-2, 4.80 ERA).