Willson Contreras, Red Sox lose to Twins again after benches-clearing episode

Not even Willson Contreras, noted bringer of energy, could push the Red Sox to victory this time.

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They suffered another loss to the Twins, 4-2, Saturday after Contreras drew a weird walk, made an awkward slide into first base, sparked a benches-clearing episode, committed a key fielding error in a game-changing rally, and initiated what was almost a game-winning rally in the ninth inning.

Altogether, it meant the Red Sox (22-29) guaranteed another series loss at Fenway Park, where they have won just one of eight series this season.

Against Minnesota (25-27), the Sox have dropped four of five games.

Contreras singled to open the bottom of the ninth and eventually scored. The Red Sox brought the potential tying run to the plate with no outs and put the would-be winning run on first base with two outs. Jarren Duran struck out looking against lefthander Taylor Rogers to end it before a sellout crowd of 37,105.

“We gave ourselves chances and had a big, big shot there,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Half a ball higher, it’s ball four, and Mickey [Gasper] is up there with them loaded, tying run at third. That’s just the way it goes.”

Contreras finished with perhaps the most eventful 2-for-3, two-single day of the year.

He was feeling feisty from the start. In the second inning, the first pitch he saw from Taj Bradley (five innings, one run) came up and in, near his head.

Contreras responded by getting even closer than usual to the plate — toes creeping past the inner edge of the batter’s box — for the next two pitches, both balls. On the fourth, another ball, Contreras stepped in front of the plate while showing bunt before pulling back to take the walk.

“Baseball is mental,” Contreras said through an interpreter. “I tried to get closer to home plate to make him throw a strike. He didn’t.”

In the fourth, the Red Sox recorded their first hits in nine innings: singles from Gasper and Contreras, who slid head-first into the bag, catching first baseman Kody Clemens, who was fine after stumbling off the base.

“I’m an aggressive player, and I slid into first base,” Contreras said.

When Ceddanne Rafaela stroked a double to right-center, Abreu scored easily. Contreras tried. He blew through a late stop sign from interim third-base coach Chad Epperson.

“I just watched the video,” Contreras said in English. “As he was sending me, I put my head down to touch the base, and then he tried to stop me, so that was late. Either you send me right away or stop me right away.”

Upon being thrown out by about 15 feet, Contreras slowed down before running into catcher Victor Caratini as he reached the plate.

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Caratini pursued Contreras from behind for several steps, lightly threw his arm around Contreras’s neck, and pulled him close. Both appeared annoyed but not furious. The benches cleared and bullpens emptied, but nobody did anything other than stand around.

Contreras called Caratini, his Cubs teammate and fellow catcher from 2017-20, a “close friend.” According to Contreras, Caratini said he should have slid. Contreras countered that if he did so, “I might hit [Caratini] harder.”

“That’s his right to think about that. We have two completely different perspectives,” Contreras said through an interpreter. “It wasn’t anything malicious or anything at all, it was not bad intention … For him to get that mad at that was kind of surprising. For the benches to empty, that was surprising as well.”

Tracy said: “He saw he was out, and he kind of started to slow up and hit Caratini. I don’t think it was a big deal.”

In the next half-inning, Minnesota added a pair of unearned runs, both coming around because Contreras kicked Josh Bell’s ground ball. What would have been a double play instead loaded the bases with no outs.

With one out, Caratini lofted a sacrifice fly to Abreu in right field. Abreu made a strong, on-time throw to the plate, but catcher Connor Wong whiffed on a tag and Trevor Larnach (4 for 5) slid around to the far side of home to reach safely.

Orlando Arcia followed with a single that deflected off Brayan Bello to shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Lefthander Jovani Morán gave up two runs in the first inning. He has allowed five runs in three appearances as an opener.

“Not the design,” Tracy said.

Bello was better than last time, but not exactly good. He gave up two runs (both unearned), eight hits, and a walk in five innings.

In seven traditional starts this season, Bello has a 9.68 ERA.

In three outings behind an opener, Bello has a 0.98 ERA.

“It was a good outing,” Bello said through an interpreter. “It was a good step [in the] right direction.”

Tracy said: “It was hit and miss. There were some stretches where he looked really good. I thought he battled.”

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