FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) _ The Minnesota Twins scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first en route to a 9-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the exhibition opener for both teams Thursday.

Eight Twins stepped to the plate in the first against Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield at Hammond Stadium.

Corey Koskie started the two-out rally with an infield single that scored Cristian Guzman. An errant throw by Manny Alexander allowed Koskie to advance to second and designated hitter Butch Huskey to third.

Chad Allen followed with a two-run double to deep left-center, scoring Huskey and Koskie. Allen was then driven in by Todd Walker, who lined a double down the third baseline, giving the Twins the lead for good, 4-3.

Troy O'Leary started the scoring with a three-run home run to right field. O'Leary's blast came on a 2-2 pitch off Twins starter Brad Radke with two outs and runners on the corners.

Both pitchers settled down after the opening inning with the winner Radke sending the Red Sox down in order in the second inning, his last inning of work.

Wakefield, the loser, lasted two outs into the third before his second wild pitch scored Huskey for the Twins' fifth run.

Doug Mientkiewicz broke the game open with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth off Boston's Bryce Florie. The blast to right-center came on a 1-0 pitch with two outs and extended Minnesota's lead to 8-3.

Twins catcher Matt LeCroy led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot over the left-field wall to close out the scoring.

Notes: The Twins play again Friday in two split squad games. The Texas Rangers come to Hammond Stadium for a 12:05 CST start to face left-hander Eric Milton. Left-hander Johan Stanana will take the mound in Sarasota with the other split squad facing the Cincinnati Reds and Ken Griffey Jr. The Twins announced the signings of nine more players to one-year contracts, leaving just one more player to be signed on the 40-man roster. Pitchers Travis Miller and Mark Redman; catcher Javier Valentin; infielders Cletus Davidson, Corey Koskie, David Ortiz and Todd Walker; and outfielders Brian Buchanan and Torii Hunter all have contracts for the 2000 season.