If the Red Sox miss the postseason by a game or two, giving away games against the Minnesota Twins will be a regrettable part of the equation.
The worst team in the American League won again at Fenway Park on Saturday night, coming back from a three-run deficit to beat the Sox, 11-9, before a sellout crowd of 37,600.
The Sox are 3-3 against a team that fired its general manager a week ago. That includes a walkoff loss at Target Field last month and close games the last two nights at home.
“It’s bad thing. We should be winning these games,’’ David Ortiz said. “That’s how baseball can be, but we’ve got to play better. We’re supposed to be in a pennant race.’’
With $217 million ace David Price on the mound, the Sox allowed 19 hits and needed five relief pitchers.
“Tough night from the mound, obviously,’’ Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
Price gave up five runs on 11 hits over 5⅔ innings, putting pressure on a bullpen that did not have righthanders Matt Barnes and Junichi Tazawa available,
In two starts since the All-Star break, Price has allowed eight runs on a staggering 22 hits over 11⅓ innings. He has struck out only five.
Price’s 4.51 earned run average is 31st among 45 qualified pitchers in the American League. The Red Sox are 11-10 in games he has started.
“It’s been terrible. This is horrible. Awful,’’ Price said.
Price has at least 12 starts left and believes he can turn it around.
“I’m still confident in myself, absolutely,’’ he said. “I’d go out there and pitch tomorrow if they let me. My confidence is not altered. I don’t listen to the outside noise.
“I know my teammates and the coaching staff, they have a lot of confidence in me. I haven’t really given them reason to have a lot of confidence in me this year. I just have to pitch better.’’
Price did leave the mound in the sixth inning with a three-run lead. The bullpen then allowed six runs on eight hits.
Clay Buchholz, Tommy Layne, and Heath Hembree were hit hard. Defensive mistakes also contributed to one of the worst losses of the season.
Hembree was demoted to Triple A Pawtucket after the game. Joe Kelly, now a reliever, rejoins the team Sunday.
The final seven Red Sox hitters went in order as Fernando Abad and Brandon Kintzler quieted an offense that had 15 hits. The Sox left 12 on base.
On a night when Mookie Betts sat out with a sore right knee, replacement leadoff hitter Brock Holt had two hits and scored two runs. Xander Bogaerts was 4 for 6. Jackie Bradley Jr. added three hits and two RBIs.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Price threw a pitch to Robbie Grossman and the result was a seemingly routine fly ball to right field.
It was at that moment a microburst of wind hit Fenway Park. The ball was caught up in the swirling winds and went to the wall in right field for a triple. Michael Martinez, who replaced Betts in right field, was spun around chasing it.
As Price pitched to Miguel Sano, hot dog wrappers and other bits of garbage flew around the field and the players shielded their eyes from clouds of dirt.
Sano walked, Price’s pitches wavering in the wind. Brian Dozier then delivered a sacrifice fly on another ball taken for a ride in the gale.
When the Twins scored three runs on five hits and a walk in the second inning, it had nothing to do with the wind.
Eddie Rosario singled and scored on a double to left field by Kurt Suzuki. When Byron Buxton grounded to third, Aaron Hill threw the ball away. Buxton was credited with a single with Suzuki scoring on an error.
Eduardo Nunez followed with an RBI single and the Twins had a 4-1 lead.
Minnesota starter Ricky Nolasco allowed five runs in the bottom of the inning
Martinez drew a walk and Holt singled before Dustin Pedroia bounced an RBI double into the stands in right field. When Ortiz walked, Holt scored on a wild pitch.
Hanley Ramirez followed with a home run to left-center and the Sox were up, 6-4. Nolasco went only two innings.
Bradley had an RBI double in the fourth inning. Price retired eight straight before allowing a run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Buxton.
Bradley drove in another run in the sixth inning. But Buchholz could not hold an 8-5 lead, thanks to shaky defense.
With two outs and a runner on first, Max Kepler lined a ball to right field that got over the head of Martinez and went for a triple. Kennys Vargas followed with a pop to shallow left field that should have been caught, but Holt went into a slide and the ball popped loose.
Farrell thought both plays should have been made.
“Brock tries to make a sliding catch, it goes off the heel of the glove,’’ he said. “I thought Clay deserved better in that spot.’’
Vargas was credited with a double as Kepler scored. When Layne replaced Buchholz, the inning got worse.
Rosario singled to center field and Vargas scored after an out call at the plate was overturned on review. Juan Centeno then reached on an infield hit and Buxton walked to load the bases.
Hembree came in and allowed a two-run single to center by Nunez. In all, five runs scored with two outs.
Down 10-8, the Sox scored a run with two outs in the seventh when Pedroia and Bogaerts singled ahead of Ortiz’s double to left.
Minnesota intentionally walked Ramirez and Bradley flied to deep right with the bases loaded.
Hembree was allowed to stay in the game and trouble followed as Sano homered to left-center. Fourteen of the last 29 batters Hembree has faced have reached base.
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
