MINNEAPOLIS — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (58-51) don’t let Monday’s tough loss linger and jump out to an early lead en route to beating the Twins, 8-5, in the second game of three at Target Field:

1) The Red Sox surely enjoyed having some breathing room for once. Before Tuesday, they had won four times in 10 games since the All-Star break. Two were one-run games, another was a two-run victory and the third was last Sunday’s comeback win at Wrigley Field.

On Tuesday, they built a 5-0 lead early, then added on when it got closer. Technically, it was the 13th time in 15 Red Sox games the score was decided by three or fewer runs. But it was an easier win than the final would suggest.

2) It took a bit for the Red Sox to feel comfortable facing 25-year-old rookie righty Pierson Ohl, who was making his major league debut. Ohl retired seven of the first eight batters he faced before the Sox finally got to him in the third. Ceddanne Rafaela’s strong baserunning to stretch a double into a triple made it easy for Roman Anthony to stay with an outside pitch for an RBI single with two strikes. Anthony then scored from first when Alex Bregman doubled and Willi Castro bobbled the ball in left field. Two batters later, Trevor Story made it a four-spot in the inning with a two-run blast. It was his first homer since July 8.

3) Story’s 104.2 mph, 404-foot blast was a much-needed swing for a player who had been hitless in his last 11 at-bats and hitting just .132 (5-for-38) with 14 strikeouts and a .355 OPS since the All-Star break. He later rocketed an RBI double to right field off Louis Varland for his second extra-base hit of the night.

4) Lucas Giolito said he came out flat Wednesday in Philadelphia after allowing four home runs to a potent Phillies lineup. He kind of did the same thing against the Twins — issuing a walk and allowing a single to start his outing — before settling in and turning in a strong effort.

Giolito retired 13 of the next 14 after the first two batters reached and returned to form with a quality start. He let seven men reach base (five hits, two walks) in six innings but allowed just one run and struck out five. Giolito seemed to bear down when the Twins had runners in scoring position, allowing one hit in nine at-bats.

No matter how you slice it, a 3.80 ERA from Giolito on August 1 is something the Red Sox would have signed up for before the season.

5) When Jarren Duran homers, he doesn’t leave much doubt. He provided an insurance run with a solo blast off Michael Tonkin in the top of the fifth, and crushed it. The homer measured 446 feet.

Duran reached base three times (double, homer, walk) and nearly did again in the ninth when he laced a 350-foot flyout to left. It was a good game from the No. 3 spot.

6) Aroldis Chapman, who left Sunday’s game with back spasms and was unavailable Monday, returned — in odd circumstances. With Boston up three in the top of the ninth, he warmed, then sat back down when a two-run rally stretched the lead to five. Jorge Alcala entered for the bottom of the inning but couldn’t do the job, allowing a two-run homer to make it a save situation again.

After Royce Lewis extended the game with a two-out single off Alcala, Alex Cora went to Chapman after all. The All-Star lefty needed three pitches to strike out former Red Sox Mickey Gasper. It was his 19th (and perhaps easiest) save of 2025.

7) Rafaela had his best game in weeks, lacing that triple to spark the third-inning rally and adding a phenomenal diving catch on a Castro flare in the seventh. The Red Sox are playing him at second base a lot out of necessity but it’s not the best outcome for the team.

8) After a shaky 24 hours that started when he was hit hard by the team’s turbulent flight to Minnesota, Garrett Whitlock returned to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

9) Newly minted Red Sox killer Brooks Lee took Justin Wilson deep for a two-run homer in the seventh inning. It was just the second homer allowed by Wilson this season, with the other being Christian Moore’s walk-off shot in Anaheim on June 24.

Lee homered again in the ninth, making it a three-run game again. He had two bombs and a double in a losing effort. He’s the fifth Twin ever to homer from both sides of the plate in a game.

10) The Twins do not have a good lineup, as evidenced by the fact nearly everyone in it has an OPS that starts with a 6 or 7. Subtract Byron Buxton (placed on the IL before the game) and Carlos Correa (departed due to lightheadedness) from the mix and there’s not a lot of difficult outs to get.

Through two games in the series, the Twins are 3-for-18 with men in scoring position.

11) Right-hander Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.32 ERA) will be tasked with an early wake-up in Wednesday’s series finale as first pitch is set for 12:10 p.m. CT. The Red Sox will hope Bello’s well-documented struggles in day games won’t return.

Minnesota hasn’t announced a starter yet.

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