MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Brad Radke’s seven strong innings and a number of bad throws by Boston helped the Minnesota Twins to a 12-0 victory Friday night over the Red Sox, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped.

Radke, who nearly signed with Boston last winter before deciding to take an $18 million, two-year contract and return for his 11th season in Minnesota, finally got some run support from his struggling offense. He didn’t need much, picking up his first victory since the All-Star break and matching a season best with eight strikeouts.

Radke (7-10), who retired 15 straight batters at one point, gave up four hits and one walk.

Manny Ramirez, who collided with teammate Edgar Renteria while making a catch on Wednesday against Kansas City, returned from a one-game absence and went 1-for-3 for the Red Sox.

Joe Mauer had three hits and three RBIs and Lew Ford had three hits and three runs for the Twins, who won for only the fourth time in their last 15 games and sent Boston starter Bronson Arroyo (9-7) to an early exit.

Terry Tiffee’s two-run double and Jacque Jones’ two-run homer highlighted a five-run eighth against Jeremi Gonzalez. The 12 runs for Minnesota were a season high.

Ford, a former Red Sox farmhand who was traded to the Twins in 2000 for reliever Hector Carrasco, has followed a breakout 2004 season with an unproductive year as the regular designated hitter. But Ford, filling in for injured Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter, gave the Twins a big lift with his glove and at the plate.

He led off the first with a triple and quickly scored on a groundout by Nick Punto. In the fourth, with the infield in, Ford hit a chopper that Renteria couldn’t handle, reaching on a single and later scoring.

He took an extra-base hit from Kevin Millar by running down a fly ball and smashing into the wall as he caught it to start the second inning. In the sixth, Ford made a sliding catch in shallow center of Johnny Damon’s sinking line drive just before it hit the turf.

Then, with Ramirez on first, Ford raced back and jumped over the wall to steal a sure home run from Millar in the seventh.

The Red Sox, who rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Royals 11-9 on Thursday, lead the rival Yankees by 31/2 games in the AL East. But they showed no such spunk in this one.

Arroyo was only charged with two earned runs, but most of the seven runs he allowed were his fault. He walked one and gave up eight hits in 3 2-3 innings while striking out three.

Already trailing 1-0 with runners at the corners in the first, Arroyo loaded the bases on a single by Jones that Millar charged and fielded – but had no play when nobody covered first base behind him.

Justin Morneau then hit a soft grounder back to the mound, but Arroyo’s throw sailed wildly past second and into center. Damon picked it up and threw weakly back toward the infield – while all three runners scored to make it 4-0.

In the fourth, Michael Ryan reached second when Bill Mueller fielded his grounder at third base and threw errantly past Millar at first. Mauer drove in two runs with a double four batters later, and Matthew LeCroy – who had three hits – finished off Arroyo with an RBI double of his own that made it 7-0.

Notes: Jones ended Minnesota’s 0-for-25 streak with runners in scoring position with his infield single in the first. … Boston is 33-18 at home and just 29-28 on the road. The last six wins during its streak were at Fenway Park.

AP-ES-08-05-05 2311EDT