Minnesota @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 15, 2014 ) Boston 3, Minnesota 4

A roller-coaster season has taken another dip for the Boston Red Sox, who have dropped nine of their last 13 entering a three-game series against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Monday. The Red Sox suffered identical 3-2 defeats to Cleveland over the weekend to fall to 8-15 in one-run games - the most one-run losses in the American League. Brock Holt has been one of the few consistent players for Boston, hitting safely in 14 of his last 15 games.

Oswaldo Arcia was taking the league by storm with consecutive four-RBI games but Minnesota's second-year slugger hasn't been the same since suffering a sprained ankle on June 5. Arcia is 2-for-25 with zero RBIs in eight games since he was hurt and has been an adventure in the field, dropping a pair of fly balls in Sunday's 4-3 loss to Detroit that cost the Twins a possible series win. Minnesota sends veteran Kevin Correia to the mound to oppose Red Sox rookie Rubby De La Rosa.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), NESN (Boston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kevin Correia (3-7, 5.60 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rubby De La Rosa (1-2, 3.93)

Correia turned in one of his best efforts of the season last time out, limiting Toronto to six hits over six scoreless innings to end a three-start winless drought. It marked the first time in 13 starts that Correia did not allow a run - the 33-year-old from San Diego had permitted at least four runs in seven of his first 12 turns. Correia was rocked for five runs and nine hits in four innings by the Red Sox on May 14.

De La Rosa made a sensational season debut, striking out eight and allowing four hits over seven scoreless innings of a 7-1 win over Toronto on May 31. He has regressed in his two subsequent outings, posting lines of 5 2/3 innings and four runs allowed in losses at Detroit and Baltimore. One issue for De Le Rosa has been the long ball, with the fireballer surrendering three in his last two starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Correia is 1-1 with a 6.97 ERA and .408 batting average against in three appearances (two starts) versus Boston.

2. Red Sox DH David Ortiz has 19 homers and is batting .349 in 57 games against Minnesota, the team he played for his first six seasons.

3. Twins 1B Joe Mauer is a career .313 hitting against the Red Sox and was 4-for-12 against them in three games last month.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Twins 3