Larnach and Wallner get RBI singles in 12th, Twins beat Red Sox 4-2

BOSTON (AP) — Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner both had RBI singles in the 12th inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Friday night.

Winning for just the sixth time in their last 17 games, the Twins moved a game ahead Detroit, which lost 8-1 to the Baltimore Orioles, for the American League's third and final wild-card spot. The Twins hold the tiebreaker over the Tigers.

Trevor Story had an RBI single for the Red Sox, who are 7-14 in their last 21 games and trail the Twins by five games with eight to play. They are also behind the Tigers and Seattle.

Red Sox rookie right-hander Richard Fitts became the first in club history — and only the second in the majors since 1901 — to not allow an earned run over five innings or more in his first three big league starts. He gave up five hits with three strikeouts and a walk over five shutout innings.

Cincinnati left-hander Andrew Abbott is the other pitcher to start his career that way, when he also didn’t give up an earned run in his first three starts last season.

With runners on first and third and no outs, Larnach hit a high chop that ticked off the top of the glove of the leaping 6-foot-6 Cooper Criswell (6-5) that scored the go-ahead run. Wallner singled through a drawn-in infield and Willi Castro added a sacrifice fly.

Scott Blewett (1-0) worked the 11th for the victory and Griffin Jax got the final three outs for his 10th save despite allowing a run.

“That was incredibly impressive and gutsy, come up with all the words,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You feel it watching that game. We felt it in the dugout the whole game. It was a very intense, good type game.”

The Red Sox struck out a club record-tying 20 times and left 17 runners on. The Twins left 15 on base.

“Plenty of chances,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We didn't cash in.”

Both teams left two runners on in the 10th and 11th innings.

“It's good to get back in the win column,'' said reliever Cole Sands, who struck out three in one inning after giving up a leadoff double. ”All the bullpen guys did their job."

The Twins (81-73) are just 11-20 since being 17 games over .500 on August 17.

The 24-year-old Fitts was acquired in an offseason trade from the rival Yankees along with righty Greg Weissert and another minor-league pitcher for outfielder Alex Verdugo.

Story’s single gave Boston a 1-0 edge in the fourth against Minnesota starter David Festa.

The Twins tied it in the seventh when Byron Buxton scored from third on Carlos Correa’s fielder’s choice against Chris Martin on a ground ball not hit hard enough for an inning-ending double play.

Boston left the bases loaded against Jhoan Duran in the eighth when Ceddanne Rafaela lined softy to second.

In his last inning, Fitts escaped a first-and-third, one-out jam by getting Jose Miranda on a fielder’s choice before Carlos Santana flied to right.

Festa allowed only a run and four hits, striking out six and walking three in five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 3B Rafael Devers left in extra innings. His shoulders have been nagging him for months. After that game Cora said: “Probably, this is it for him" and that he'll get an MRI on his right shoulder Saturday. ... Placed OF Rob Refsnyder on the 10-day injured list with a strained right forearm. … LF Jarren Duran banged his right arm and shoulder against the Green Monster, making a leaping grab, and was checked on quickly by a team trainer, but stayed in.

UP NEXT

Twins RHP Pablo López (15-8, 3.84 ERA) is scheduled to face Red Sox RHP Kutter Crawford (8-15, 4.19) on Saturday.

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

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers (11) is forced out at second base as Minnesota Twins second baseman Willi Castro turns the double play on Tyler O'Neill during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Connor Wong (12) steals second base against Minnesota Twins second baseman Willi Castro, front left, during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran (16) steals second base against Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (4) during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher David Festa throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Richard Fitts throws against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Trevor Story watches his RBI single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Minnesota Twins pitcher Griffin Jax (22) and catcher Ryan Jeffers, left, celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox during the 12th inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

From left to right, Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox in 12 innings of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Minnesota Twins' Kyle Farmer (12) scores behind Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong, right, on a single by Trevor Larnach during the 12th inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Germany on Saturday was still in shock and struggling to understand the suspect behind the attack in the city of Magdeburg.

Identified by local media as 50-year-old Taleb A., a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist, authorities said he has been living in Germany for two decades. He was arrested on site after plowing a black BMW into a Christmas market crowded with holiday shoppers Friday evening, killing at least five people and wounding about 200 others.

Prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann posted on X that he had yet to come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with that profile.

Taleb’s X account is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He also described himself as a former Muslim.

He was critical of German authorities, saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamism of Europe.”

He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. Recently, he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum seekers.

Neumann, the terrorism expert, wrote: “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar."

On Saturday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters: “At this point, we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic – we can confirm that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.”

A German-based organization called Athiest Refugee Relief said the alleged attacker was not a part of the group and claimed that he made “numerous accusations and claims” against it and former board members, which it said were false.

“We distance ourselves from him in the strongest terms," the group said in a statement on its website, adding that members of Atheist Refugee Relief filed a criminal complaint against him in 2019 following “the most foul slander and verbal attacks."

An image taken from a video shows police officers arresting a suspect after car drove into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, Friday Dec. 20, 2024. (TNN/DPA via AP)

A person stands by flowers and candles placed outside St. John's Church near a Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)