Boston is outclassed by Minnesota at the plate and on the mound, and suffers its third straight defeat.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, June 15, 2006

By SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS -- Try as they might, the Red Sox are hard-pressed to find the positives these days.

Their losing streak was stretched to three last night. Their bullpen is overworked and underperforming. And their starting rotation, makeshift already, may soon be forced to undergo another starter.

The Sox were outclassed by the Minnesota Twins, 8-1, at the Metrodome last night, the same Twins who had lost eight of 12 before the Sox arrived in town. Twins starter Brad Radke, who hadn't won since May 13, checked the Sox on five hits and a run over six innings.

In 21 innings here, over two nights, the Red Sox have scored a total of three runs while collecting just 14 hits.

The loss toppled the Sox out of first place in the A.L. East, a game behind the Yankees. Just as ominously, the Toronto Blue Jays are just a game behind.

Matt Clement, who was making a start on nine days' rest, nonetheless had to leave in the fifth when his right shoulder began troubling him. He's scheduled to return to Boston this morning to undergo an exam to determine the trouble.

"The same as last time (June 4 in Detroit) -- spasm in the side of the bicep and shoulder," said Clement. "It's something that slows me up and scares my body enough to affect how I pitch.Maybe I got out just in time and this was the one start I needed to get over the hump. I'm going to be optimistic about it."

But already filling their rotation with a 22-year-old rookie, the Sox can ill afford to replace another starter. Then again, Clement (5-5, 6.61) isn't contributing much, as it is.

"It looked, at times, like he didn't want to let it go," said manager Terry Francona, noting Clement's final pitch was an 80 mph fastball."

Clement's command was poor (six walks and a hit-batsman in 4 2/3 innings), and for the second time in his last three outings, he failed to record a strikeout.

Things didn't get any better after Clement left, either.

Jermaine Van Buren got out of Clement's mess -- two on, two out -- in the fifth, but in the sixth he allowed a single, walk, sacrifice, intentional walk and another walk to force in another run.

He gave way to Manny Delcarmen, who fell behind Justin Morneau and tried to throw a fastball away. Morneau flicked it down the left-field line, just reaching the seats, for a grand slam to break the game open. It marked the first time since 1972 that the Twins had connected for grand slams in consecutive games.

"Sometimes," said Francona, "with young pitchers, you don't see the same pitcher with the bases loaded. That's part of growing up -- knowing how to pitch with men on base."

"You fall behind here (in the big leagues)," said Delcarmen, "and try to throw a fastball by people, it really doesn't work. It wasn't a bad pitch, but he hit it well enough."

In the last three games, all losses, Red Sox relievers are 0-2 with 16 runs allowed in 11 1/3 innings.

"Some guys are getting the opportunity in the bullpen," Francona said, "and we need someone to jump up, grab it and run with it."

But beyond closer Jonathan Papelbon and returning veteran setup man Mike Timlin, there are few dependable choices for Francona.

The Sox had an early chance against Radke, but couldn't capitalize.

A leadoff single from Kevin Youklils, a one-out single from David Ortiz -- the result of a ball being lost in the lights by Jason Kubel -- and a walk to Manny Ramirez loaded the bases.

But Trot Nixon put a poor swing on a fastball from Radke and Varitek's fly ball to right wasn't hit quite well enough as the Sox stranded three.

The only run of the night came in the fifth when Coco Crisp, dropped from first to eighth in a reshuffled order, hammered a pitch off The Baggie in right for his first homer this month.

Clement, meanwhile, was his own worst enemy. He walked Torii Hunter to start the second, then gave up a two-run belt into the upper deck to Kubel, Tuesday's extra-inning hero.

He walked the bases loaded in the third before using a double play to get out of trouble. But the in the fourth, a hit batsman (No. 8 hitter Rondell White), a single to No. 9 hitter Jason Bartlett and a double to right from Luis Castillo pushed the Twins' lead to 3-0.