FORT MYERS, FLA. - Josh Reddick hit a two-run homer off Twins reliever Jim Hoey in the seventh inning, lifting the Red Sox to a 7-6 victory over the Twins on Monday at City of Palms Park.
Hoey, who came from Baltimore in the J.J. Hardy trade, is tall and lanky with a powerful right arm, but the Twins are waiting to see if he can command his pitches.
Hoey entered with a 6-5 lead in the seventh and retired the first batter. But Ryan Kalish singled, and Reddick followed with a drive over the left field wall.
"The ball was [carrying well] out there today," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team got home runs from Jason Kubel and Luke Hughes. "Even the pitch [Reddick] went deep on was not a bad pitch. It was down, with an angle and good velocity. I like to see that velocity."
Gardenhire said power pitchers tend to walk more batters, but "you can be successful with a fastball down, too, and [Hoey] looked like he made a great effort to throw the ball down."
JOE CHRISTENSEN
