"It stinks. There's no doubt about it, but if I'm going to continue to pitch effectively, those have to be behind me as soon as whatever's happened happens," Baker said of the homers he's allowed. "I feel like for the most part, after the home runs, I made some good pitches. I never gave in or gave up."

Baker said his early-season ineffectiveness is not at all related to the right shoulder soreness that put him on the disabled list at the start of the season.

The 27-year-old is a strikeout pitcher but said that so far he hasn't been doing a sufficient job at hitting the corners of the zone and instead has thrown strikes that are too hittable.

"You have to be aggressive, obviously in the zone," he said. "You don't want to walk a lot of guys, but they have to be pitcher's pitches. ... You have to continue to make good pitches on the corners. I didn't do that quite well enough (Wednesday)."

RED SOX 10, TWINS 1 (7 innings): RHP Scott Baker put the Twins behind early, and Boston RHP Tim Wakefield didn't let them back in during a rain-shortened, lopsided loss to start Wednesday's doubleheader. Minnesota hitters managed just five hits off Wakefield, who threw his second consecutive complete game.

RED SOX 7, TWINS 3: Minnesota hitters lined into two double plays, mashed several hard-hit outs at Boston infielders and couldn't get a rally going against Boston RHP Brad Penny. LHP Francisco Liriano lasted just four innings and gave up seven runs.