CLEVELAND - Win No. 106, which would establish a record for most wins by a Red Sox team in a season, will have to wait.
Michael Brantley singled off Drew Pomeranz with the bases loaded and no out in the bottom of the 1th to secure a 5-4 win for the Cleveland Indians.
The Red Sox had rallied to tie the game in the eighth on a two-run single by Andrew Benintendi.
Earlier, the Red Sox had gotten solo homers from Rafael Devers -- his third in the last seven games -- and Blake Swihart.
Starter Rick Porcello was cuffed around for eight hits and four runs -- three earned -- in just five innings.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
10:39 Joe Kelly turns in his best outing in weeks, coming in to a first-and-second jam and retiring the next three hitters in succession -- two strikeouts and a weak groundout.
9:52 Two-run single by Andrew Benintendi scores pinch-runner Tzu-Wei Lin and Jackie Bradley Jr. and ties the game at 4-4. Benintendi has 39 doubles and when the Indians were a bit lax in getting the ball back into the infield, Benintendi tried to stretch into a double, but was out at second.
9:14 Jackie Bradley Jr. exhibits less panic than any other outfielder. Even on balls that are hit hard and require a long run to track down, Bradley seems to glide to the ball. On the ball hit by Yonder Alonso, Bradley drifted to the spot where he expected the ball to arrive, readied himself and then made a leaping catch up against the wall, as casually as can be.
8:51 Porcello's final inning, it turns out, was also his best and the only one in which he retired the side in order, and without a hard-hit ball. In all: 5 IP, 8 H; 4 R; 3 ER; 2 BB; 1 K.
8:19 Blake Swihart drives a ball out to right -- a changeup that Mike Clevinger left up over the plate. It's his second homer of the year and first since in almost two months (July 24).
8:16 Lots of hard contact against Rick Porcello through the first three innings, with seven hits allowed and three runs scored. Porcello will be limited to just five innings tonight, which, given how the Indians are teeing off on him, is probably a good thing for the Red Sox.
7:58 It would appear that Rafael Devers has re-discovered his power stroke. That's his third homer in the last nine games. He's gotten a chance to play more in the last week thanks to the injury to Eduardo Nunez and he's made the most of it. At a time when the homers have dried up a bit for the lineup, Devers is getting hot at the right time.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Progressive Field
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox bring a two-game winning streak into tonight's contest, with each of the last two games resulting in something meaningful. The first clinched the division and the second tied a 106-year-old franchise mark for most wins in a season. A win tonight would establish a new franchise single-season mark of 106 wins, something no Red Sox team has ever achieved. The Sox are also a win away from assuring themselves home field advantage throughout the playoffs by clinching best record in the game. That's something they've done only four times in franchise history; the last time was 1946. (They held a share MLB's best record in both 2007 and 2013). Overall, the Sox have gone 8-3 in their last 11 and 15-7 over their last 22. A win tonight would also give them the season series against the Indians; currently, the Sox hold a 3-2 edge with two games remaining. Also, one more win would establish a franchise record with most road wins in a season...J.D. Martinez needs one more homer to tie the club record for most homers for a player in his first year with the club. He has 41 currently; Dick Stuart owns the record at 42 (in 1963). Martinez also leads MLB in RBI (124) and total bases (344)...Closer Craig Kimbrel has allowed just two hits in the last 46 at-bats, for a .050 average. Kimbrel, who posted his 42nd save Friday night, is four saves away from tying Tom Gordon's club record of 46 in a single season...Rick Porcello leads the Red Sox staff in wins and innings pitched. He hasn't lost in his previous four starts. In his only other start against the Indians this year, he allowed five runs in seven innings... Among the Indians with success against Porcello: Edwin Encarnacion (13-for-40, three homers, 10 RBI); Melky Cabrera (17-for-31, two homers, four RBI); and Josh Donaldson (12-for-39; one homer, two RBI)….The Red Sox don't have nearly as much history against Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger, but it's worth noting that Martinez is 4-for-4 against him.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.30) vs. RHP Mike Clevinger (12-8, 3.06)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Benintendi LF
Kinsler 2B
Devers 3B
Martinez RF
Bogaerts SS
Moreland DH
Holt !B
Swihart C
Bradley CF
INDIANS
Lindor SS
Brantley LF
Ramirez 2B
Encarnacion DH
Donaldson 3B
Alonso 1B
Cabrera RF
Gomes C
Kipnis CF
NEWS AND NOTES:
- The Sox are undecided about a starter for the Sunday series finale. "We don't know yet,'' said Alex Cora. "We've got options - Hector (Velazquez), William (Cuevas), Drew (Pomeranz). We'll see how we manage the game (tonight) and we'll decided afterward.''
- Mookie Betts is out of the lineup tonight, still trying to protect him and the left side soreness he's been experiencing since last Sunday. Betts played twice in New York, but was the DH both times. He could return to the outfield Sunday night and play the next two nights.
- Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) is improved. Cora said he could return Monday against Baltimore.
- Cora would like to see Steven Wright in the middle of an inning with runners on base "to see how he looks.''
- Cora on Craig Kimbrel: "He's throwing his best right now.'' Cora said a few mechanical adjustments have given Kimbrel better command of his curveball, which enhances his already-elite fastball.
- Cora hinted that the Sox will likely have 11 pitchers on the ALDS roster. Both the Red Sox and the Astros -- for whom Cora coached -- used 11 first-round pitchers last October.