Eduardo Escobar T.J. Yeldon Jersey , yet again, gave the Minnesota Twins the go-ahead hit.

Two of them, of course. He’s become a doubles machine.

With a two-base hit that drove in two runs off Chris Sale in the sixth inning and another that launched a four-run eighth, Escobar led for the Twins to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

”I don’t know if he can keep up that kind of torrid pace, but we’re seeing a guy who is supremely confident,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Robby Scott (0-1), just recalled from Triple-A, relieved Sale to start the eighth and walked the first two batters. Joe Kelly entered, and Escobar’s one-out line drive bounced in front of Jackie Bradley Jr. and skipped past the center fielder as two runs scored. The official scorer later changed his ruling from a single to a double, giving Escobar a majors-leading 32 for the season. Robbie Grossman broke the game open with a two-run triple.

Escobar is on a season-long pace for 75 doubles, which would blow by Earl Webb’s record of 67 doubles in 1931 for the Red Sox.

”Let me tell you: If they don’t catch the ball I’m going to run to second base, 100 percent,” Escobar said. ”My mentality when I make contact with the ball is to run all the way to second base.”

Escobar, who will be a free agent in the fall, has for the fourth straight season been slated for a utility role only to hit his way into regular duty after a setback in the infield. This year, injury and ineffectiveness for third baseman Miguel Sano paved Escobar’s way into the everyday lineup.

”If he doesn’t have a double a day, it’s like a disappointment right now. He’s unbelievable. He always finds a barrel,” said teammate Trevor Hildenberger, who struck out American League RBI leader J.D. Martinez with runners at second and third to end the seventh after relieving Jose Berrios.

The Red Sox went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

”Whenever you have a chance, you have to catch him,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.

MOUND MASTERY

The late surge masked a classic pitching duel between Sale and Berrios, the six-time All-Star against the budding ace. Sale retired the first 14 batters he faced before Ehire Adrianza’s soft roller to Rafael Devers at third base went for an infield single.

With a two-out home run by Devers in the sixth off Berrios, the Red Sox were in control. All it took was a single by Ryan LaMarre and a hit by pitch for Joe Mauer, though, to start a rally in the bottom of the inning. With one out Pernell McPhee Color Rush Jersey , Escobar drove a 1-1 slider near the dirt from Sale down the left-field line for a 2-1 lead. Escobar pumped his arms back and forth before clapping and pointing at his teammates in the dugout.

”You know this guy. Every pitch is nasty,” said Escobar, once a minor league teammate of Sale’s in the Chicago White Sox system. ”I guess I made good contact.”

Sale finished seven innings, the 12th time in 16 starts this season he has logged at least six. This was the 11th turn in which he’s yielded two runs or fewer and his fifth double-digit strikeout performance. In his last three starts, he has allowed only 11 hits in 21 innings. Yet the Red Sox are only 8-8 with him on the mound.

”I’m not going to hang my head about it. I know these guys in here want to win. I know they’re not doing anything different on my day,” Sale said. ”Maybe I’ll bring popsicles or something for the boys.”

REED RELIEF

Struggling Twins right-hander Addison Reed, who has appeared in only one of the previous six games, has been at least temporarily removed from his setup role. Zach Duke (3-2) took the eighth inning instead and, with two outs, surrendered Sandy Leon’s tying single that drove in Devers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia, who has played in only three games this season because of inflammation in his left knee, has still not been cleared for baseball activities since returning to the DL three weeks ago. The lack of progress has been concerning, Cora acknowledged. ”It was major surgery. We didn’t know what to expect. So we are where we are now, hoping that, yeah, he’ll be back. When? We don’t know,” Cora said.

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana, yet to appear this season because of a slow recovery from surgery on his middle finger, threw a 35-pitch bullpen session before the game. He’ll face live hitters on Friday, another step forward after his setback last month.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: LHP David Price (8-4, 3.76 ERA) pitches Wednesday night. He is 6-0 in his last seven starts, with two runs or fewer allowed in all but one of those, when he gave up three runs. Price is 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA in his career against the Twins.

Twins: RHP Lance Lynn (4-5, 4.98 ERA) takes the mound in the middle game of the series. He’s 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA over his last five turns, with a .195 batting average against him and 30 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings.

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The Detroit Tigers will look for their third consecutive victory as they open an eight-game road trip Friday night against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

Detroit (33-37) is coming off back-to-back wins against the Minnesota Twins as it remains within striking distance of the Cleveland Indians for first place in the American League Central division. The Tigers have scored four-plus runs in four of their last seven contests.

The team’s success at the plate has come despite the loss of star slugger Miguel Cabrera Russell Bodine Color Rush Jersey , who will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his biceps tendon. The 35-year-old performed well against Chicago with a .297 lifetime average to go along with 34 home runs and 108 RBIs in 175 games.

Minus Cabrera, the Tigers are forced to rely upon less proven players such as JaCoby Jones, who belted a two-run home run on Thursday afternoon that helped his team secure a series victory. Jones is hitting only .222 this season with five home runs and 18 RBIs.

“He’s a really good baseball player,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said to the Detroit Free Press. “He brings a lot to the table. Yeah, he could get sent down sometime if he went 0-for-the-next-150, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

“I love the kid. … But ultimately, he’s going to have to dig his way out of it, and (Thursday) was a start. He hit a home run, that’s confidence — and now, hopefully, he’ll build from there.”

Chicago (24-43) also has gained confidence recently despite a difficult start to the season. The White Sox have won or split each of their past four series, including a 2-2 series tie against the Indians this week.

The White Sox will turn to right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (2-4, 3.26 ERA), who will make his 14th start of the season. The 24-year-old has posted back-to-back quality starts and earned a victory in his most recent appearance Sunday as he limited the Boston Red Sox to two runs (one earned) in 6 1/3 innings.

In three career starts against the Tigers, Lopez is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA. He has not allowed a home run in 21 innings, but control has proved to be an issue as he has walked 10 and struck out nine during those three starts.

Lopez is enthused by the recent success of him and his teammates.

“When you as a team can do the little things and can work as a team with all the parts integrated, you will have good results,” Lopez said to the Chicago Tribune. “And that’s what we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks.”

The Tigers are determined to disrupt the recent comfort level of the White Sox.

Detroit right-hander Mike Fiers (5-3, 4.01 ERA) will make his 13th start. He has not lost since May 19 against the Seattle Mariners, and he is coming off an impressive outing in which he limited Cleveland to one run on five hits in seven innings.

Fiers, 32, is 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox. He has walked eight and struck out 28 in 31 1/3 innings.

Chicago is 12-21 at home this season. Detroit is 10-20 on the road.