CLEVELAND -- And you thought the big wins were behind them.
A night after clinching the A.L. East, the Red Sox used nine pitchers to beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-5, for their 105th win, tying the franchise record for most wins in a season, established more than a century ago in 1912.
Chris Sale, in his third start back from his second DL stint, piled up seven strikeouts in 3.1 innings, though he was charged with two runs. Eight relievers followed him to the mound, meaning the Sox tied another club record for most pitchers used in a nine-inning game.
Sam Travis and Tzu-Wei Lin each smacked their first career homers. Travis knocked in three runs while Rafael Devers (homer, single) added two RBI.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
9:57 A windblown flyball to left gives Travis trouble, and, after breaking back on a ball initially, he races in, only to drop it at the last minute, allowing a run to score from second.
9:41 It's officially Sam Travis Night at Progressive Field. After belting his first homer earlier, Travis drives a double to right-center, scoring two. He's knocked in three and scored two.
9:08 Encouraging sign from Rafael Devers, who homers to right on a 93 mph fastball from Shane Bieber. That's the second homer for Devers in the last week. If he continues to swing like that, could be an interesting choice for Alex Cora as to who to start at third in the post-season -- Devers or Eduardo Nunez.
8:36 It's not been a good 24 hours for Heath Hembree. On Thursday night, his second pitch of the night resultd in a grand slam by Giancarlo Stanton. He then threw one more pitch Thursday and go the final out in the fourth. Tonight, he entered with a man on and, in a six-pitch at-bat, got Brandon Guyer on a groundout. But his next pitch, to Yan Gomes, way hit way out to left for a two-run homer. That's two homers, six runs scored -- not all his, of course, as three runners Thursday and one tonight were inherited -- in the span of nine pitches. He's allowed five homers in his last 11 innings and has essentially pitched himself out of playoff roster contention.
8:16 Sale's velocity isn't where it was earlier this year -- he's yet to top 95 mph tonight, and in his last start, did so only twice, topping out with one fastball at 97 mph. But it's also obvious that Sale doesn't need to be in the upper 90s to overpower hitters. He's racked up six strikeouts in the first three innings, and that's plenty powerful enough. Sale said after last Sunday's start that was intentionally reining himself in when it came to his fastball in order to have better command of the pitch. In his first start, last week against Toronto, he was all over the strike zone with his fastball as he tried to throw it at max velocity.
7:54 Sam Travis, who ran into a wall Wednesday night in Yankee Stadium and reported some dizziness afterward, comes back to the lineup tonight and connects for his first career homer -- an oppo shot to right that just reaches the seats.
7:42 Through four batters this evening, Chris Sale already has more strikeouts in this outing than he in his last one when he fanned just one hitter over four innings. Sale fanned Jose Ramirez to end the first, then struck out Edwin Encarnacion for the first out of the second. Both strikeouts came on sliders.
WHO: Red Sox (104-49) vs. Cleveland Indians (85-67)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Progressive Field
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox officially clinched their third straight American League East title Thursday night in the Bronx with an 11-6 win over the New York Yankees. The Sox are one of five teams to have won the division in three consecutive years: 1969-71 Orioles; 1976-78 Yankees; 1991-93 Blue Jays; and 1998-2006 Yankees. Next up the agenda: wrapping up home field throughout the playoffs, which the Red Sox can do with any combination of two wins or Houston losses. With one more win, the Sox can tie the franchise record for most victories in a season, set in 1912...Brock Holt has homered three times in his last 18 at-bats and has five homers in his last 29 games after hitting five in his previous 206 games...Craig Kimbrel has allowed just two hits to his last 43 batters faced for an opposing batting average of .054...Steven Wright, meanwhile, has not allowed a run in the 10 innings he's pitched since coming off the DL...This marks Chris Sale's third start since coming off the DL a second time with a case of mild shoulder inflammation. Sale is expected to go about five innings tonight, as he continues to build back up from the layoff. Sale has struggled against the Indians over his career, with a 5-8 record and a 4.78 ERA. This will be his first start against them this season...He'll be opposed by Trevor Bauer, who's returning from an injury (leg) of his own and will make his first start since Aug. 11...Bauer is expected to pitch just two or three innings...The Sox and Indians split a four-game series at Fenway last month. The Sox outscored the Tribe 24-15 in those four games...Since Terry Francona became manager in Cleveland, the Indians are 17-20 against the Sox...The Indians clinched the A.L. Central last week...Michael Brantley is hitting .342 over his last 19 games.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Chris Sale (12-4, 1.92) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (12-6, 2.22)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Lin CF
Phillips 2B
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Pearce 1B
Holt SS
Swihart RF
Travis LF
Leon C
INDIANS
Lindor SS
Brantley LF
Ramirez 2B
Encarnacion 3B
Donaldson DH
Diaz 3B
Guyer RF
Gomes C
Kipnis CF
NEWS AND NOTES
- Alex Cora said the Sox would like Chris Sale to get to 75 or so pitches tonight.
- Officially, the Sox are undecided about Sunday's starter, but Cora said it would "probably be Hector'' Velazquez. "We'll see how it goes today,'' said Cora. "We'll see who pitches and then we'll set it up for (Saturday) and Sunday.''
- Cora said Steven Wright, Ryan Brasier and Craig Kimbrel -- all of whom pitched Thursday night -- would be unavailable tonight.
- Shortstop Xander Bogaerts will be given a few days off this weekend. "He's been playing a lot,'' noted Cora. "We'll take care of him, but at the same time, I want him to get 100 RBI.'' Bogaerts has 95 RBI with nine games remaining. "I know he doesn't talk about it, but that would be cool for him, to accomplish that.''
- Cora hinted that, when it comes to determining starting pitching in the post-season, past matchups will be a factor. "We saw what happened this week,'' he said in reference to the Yankee series. That could mean that Nathan Eovaldi might warrant a start in the ALDS if the Sox meet New York again.