The Sox had one of their best lineups on the field, but it was the Twins who showed up to hit Monday, picking up three runs each on Mark Melancon and Scott Atchison and knocking off the Sox, 8-4.

Things got started quickly for the Twins, as they loaded the bases in the first off Felix Doubront before being held to just the one run. Felix would finish his day with eight hits to his name, but only two runs, as he managed to limit the damage inflicted by the hot Minnesota bats.

Mark Melancon would not prove so lucky in his bases loaded situation. Allowing three of the first four batters he faced to reach, the Sox' presumed setup man surrendered a bases-clearing double to Joe Benson before escaping the inning with a pair of fly balls.

The Sox would get some competent relief work from Andrew Bailey, who walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning, but quickly saw things go south again when Scott Atchison took the mound. Allowing a double, single, and double to start the inning and surrender a run, Atchison would give up another couple on a pair of sacrifice flies, putting the Twins up to 8 runs.

The Sox would manage to push a few runs of their own across, scoring three times in the second off a Jason Repko double and Jacoby Ellsbury single, but their ninth inning rally could produce just the one, leaving the Sox 8-4 losers.

The Good

Andrew Bailey was solid in his inning of work.

Ryan Lavarnway is on a 6 AB hitting streak after his seventh inning single.

Sadly, not much to talk about here today.

The Bad

An 0-for-3 day with two strikeouts for Big Papi has him down to a .200 batting average in spring. Lavarnway for DH! Let the reactionary campaign begin!

The Ugly

Mark Melancon and Scott Atchison come to mind, what with the six runs in two innings.