Overview
- Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras ran through a late stop sign and was tagged out while trying to score on Ceddanne Rafaela’s double in the fourth inning Saturday, and his contact with Twins catcher Victor Caratini prompted both benches and bullpens to clear.
- Minnesota held on for a 4-2 win helped by Trevor Larnach’s four-hit game and Taj Bradley’s five innings and one run in his return from the injured list, with Taylor Rogers working a save in the ninth.
- Crew chief Will Little issued warnings to both clubs after the plate incident, and league and local reports said no punches were thrown and no on-field discipline followed.
- Contreras said after the game the collision was not malicious and noted his past friendship with Caratini, while reporters described Caratini as upset and quoted him as saying Contreras should have slid.
- Coverage stressed that the play appeared legal given Caratini’s positioning, that the collision shifted momentum as the Twins scored two runs the next half-inning, and that Contreras’ past confrontations have focused extra attention on the exchange.