CLEVELAND - Different night, same inning, same result.
For the second night in a row, the Red Sox dropped an 11th inning decision to the Cleveland Indians in walk-off fashion. Greg Allen singled home the winning run for a 5-4 Cleveland victory.
William Cuevas gave the Sox five shutout innings from the sixth through 10th, but in the bottom of the 1th, a leadoff walk, a sacrifice, and an error put runners at second and third. With lefty Robby Scott on, following an intentional walk, Allen delivered a single through a drawn-in infield.
Cleveland won the season series between the teams, 4-3.
The Sox had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Mookie Betts doubled, was bunted to third and scored on a wild pitch. In the third, the Sox manufactured another run, scoring on an infield groundout to the right side. Betts homered in the fifth for the last Boston run of the night.
The Red Sox' magic number to clinch home field throughout the playoffs remains at one with six games remaining.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
10:37 William Cuevas has acquitted himself well, contributing four innings of scoreless, hitless relief as the Sox and Indians go to extra innings for the second straight night.
9:28 Troubling development as Xander Bogaerts takes an awkward swing and appears to have tweaked his left shoulder. Examined at the plate by Cora and a trainer, leaves the at-bat, replaced by Tzu-Wei Lin.
8:44 Mookie Betts might be hot. On Thursday, he doubled, singled, doubled, took a called third strike and hit a three-run homer. After resting the last two games, he's back in the lineup and has so far doubled and scored, singled and hit a solo homer.
8:32 The Red Sox and Alex Cora wanted to get a look at Steven Wright coming into the game with men on base. Now, here's his chance.
8:29 Hector Velazquez had retired eight of the first 10 hitters he faced through three innings, but this inning, some sloppiness has led a run for the Indians and the end of his night. After yielding a leadoff single to Michael Brantley, an errant pickoff attempt send the Cleveland outfielder to second base. A wild pitch then moved him to third, from where he scored on a single to center by Encarnacion.
7:53 Red Sox seem to be manufacturing runs tonight. The first one scored after they had bunted (!) Mookie Betts to third, from where he scored on a wild pitch. They then added on in the top of the third on two singles, a walk and an infield out.
7:40: Rare misplay in CF by Jackie Bradley, who loses his footing, slips and allows a ball hit by Edwin Encarnacion to get by him for a triple.
WHO: Red Sox (105-50) vs. Cleveland Indians (86-68)
WHEN: 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Progressive Field
WHAT'S UP: After an extra-inning loss Saturday night, the Red Sox are right back where they were 24 hours ago -- they need a win to clinch home field throughout the playoffs, set a franchise record for most wins in a season and most franchise road wins in a single season...Mookie Betts returns to the outfield for the first time in a week, after experiencing soreness in his left side last Sunday. Betts needs two steals to become the second 30-30 player in franchise history. Jacoby Ellsbury (2011) is the other...Betts leads the majors in WAR, at 10.2. He also leads the majors in average and ranks second in runs scored, OBP, slugging percentage and OPS. He's fourth in doubles and fourth in extra-base hits...J.D. Martinez, meanwhile, leads MLB in RBI and total bases and ranks second in average and homers...Xander Bogaerts is five RBI shy of reaching 100 for the first time in his career. He has 30 RBI in his last 38 games...Rafael Devers has homered in three of his last seven games...Brock Holt carries a seven-game hitting streak into Sunday night...Ian Kinsler is scuffling, hitless in his last 12 at-bats, with an 0-for-6 night on Saturday...Hector Velazquez makes his eight start of the season. He's 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA in the first seven...He faced the Indians for a third of an inning Friday night, his only career appearance against them...Tonight's game will determine the season series between the teams. To date, it's 3-3....Cleveland's starters own a collective 3.44 ERA, second best in the American League behind Houston (3.17)...The Indians became the first team to have four starters with 200 or more strikeouts Saturday...On Saturday, Josh Donaldson enjoyed his third multi-hit game since joining the Indians. After beginning 0-for-7 with the Tribe, the third baseman is now 7-for-21...Adam Plutko will be facing the Red Sox for the second time, having allowed five runs on five hits over 4.1 innings in a loss at Fenway in August.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Hector Velazquez (7-2, 3.18) vs. RHP Adam Plutko (4-5, 5.27).
TV/RADIO: ESPN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Pearce DH
Moreland 1B
Kinsler 2B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C
INDIANS
Lindor SS
Brantley LF
Ramirez 2B
Encarnacion DH
Donaldson 3B
Alonso 1B
Cabrera RF
Kipnis CF
Perez C
NEWS AND NOTES
- The Sox will evaluate two pitchers at once Monday when they return home for the start of the final homestand of the season. Nathan Eovaldi will start the game and be asked to go five innings. He'll be followed out of the bullpen by Eduardo Rodriguez, more evidence that the team is weighing which one of the two will be a starter in the post-season. If the Yankees are the opponent, bet on Eovaldi, who has blanked them over 14 innings and two starts since joining the Sox; meanwhile, Rodriguez was horrendous last week in New York, walking seven in 3.2 innings. If Oakland is the ALDS opponent, it's possible that Rodriguez could start.
- Eduardo Nunez (hamstring), who sat out there series here, is expected to return to the lineup Monday night.