Leading by three heading to the ninth inning, the Red Sox suffered arguably their worst loss of the season as the Cleveland Indians erupted for five runs to steal a 7-5 victory.
Ryan Braiser allowed a solo homer, walk and two-run homer to tie the game. The game-tying homer was hit by Greg Allen, who was 4-for-46 before the at-bat. Things didn't get any better when Travis Lakins came in. He hit a batter, walked two more and yielded a two-run double to right.
The bullpen implosion spoiled a strong start from David Price, who went six scoreless.
The Sox had built a 5-2 lead with three in the sixth -- with two runs scoring on an error by Indians second baseman Mike Freeman. After the Indians scored twice in the eighth, the Sox answered with two of their own in the bottom of the inning, as Michael Chavis singled home one and Steve Pearce doubled home another.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (2-2, 3.24) vs. RHP Zach Plesac (---)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93. 7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
11:44 Just a brutal inning for Ryan Brasier, who inherits a three-run lead and allows a homer, a walk and a two-run homer to create a tie game.
11:05 It's gotten hairy here quickly for the Red Sox. Marcus Walden has issued a walk and allowed a single and two-run double. The Sox have gone from a shutout to a one-run lead with the potential tying run in scoring position and no outs in the span of three batters.
10:27 Hot shot by Brock Holt eats up Mike Freeman, and as the ball rolls into right field, two runs score.
10:18 Xander Bogaerts has been one of the best two-strike hitters in the game in the past. Came into tonight hitting just .205 in those at-bats this year, but drives a 1-and-2 pitch up the middle to score Devers with the first run of the game.
10:14 First career triple for Rafael Devers, who collects an extra-base hit for the eighth straight game. That chases Plesac as the Indians bring in A.J. Cole from the bullpen with a runner on third and one out.
10:06 Price is at 98 pitches through six innings. Given what he dealt with last week and the hour-long rain delay, would expect that will be it.
9:28 Have to be impressed with Zach Plesac to date - making his major league debut and has limited the Sox to two hits and has thrown just 52 pitches through four innings and has shown no effects from the rain delay which lasted more than an hour.
8:51 That'll look like a line drive in the box score tomorrow -- little squibber off Brock Holt's bat trickles down the line, appears to be headed foul then stays fair or an 80-foot single.
8:46 Back underway. Delay was 1:09.
7:36: Play has been halted in the middle of the second inning and the tarp is being put in place.
7:28 Early yet, of course, but David Price looks pretty sharp so far, although his velocity on his four-seamer is off some (92 mph instead of usual 94 mph or so). Four up, four down.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Chavis 2B
Holt LF
Pearce 1B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C
INDIANS
Lindor SS
Mercado CF
Santana DH
Luplow RF
Ramirez 3B
Perez C
Bauers 1B
Allen LF
Freeman 2B
WHAT'S UP: With their 4-2 win Monday, the Red Sox are 6-3 in their last nine and 18-8 in their last 26...They're four games over .500, tying a season high....During their 18-8 run, the Sox lead the majors in runs scored per game (6.5) and OBP (.365)….The Sox have hit at least three homers in five of their last eight games, for a total of 18 homers...In their last 25 games, the Sox have hit 48 homers, just shy of exactly two per game....They've hit at least one homer in 16 of their last 18 games....During his current eight-game on-base streak, Jackie Bradley Jr. is hitting .290 with seven extra-base hits and a 1.081 OPS...The Sox have won each of their last 16 games in which Bradley has multiple extra-base hits....Rafael Devers has extra-base hits in his last seven games, the longest streak of his career...Before Devers, the last player to record an extra-base hit and score at least a run in seven straight games were Ronald Acuna Jr. (eight games in 2018), Jack Clark (eight in 1978) and Hank Aaron (seven in 1956)….The last A.L. player to do it was 80 years ago....Devers is tied for second in the AL in hits, third in average and OBP...He's one of five MLB players with a .300 or better average, 30 or more RBI and five or more steals, joining Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Austin Meadows...The Sox had a six-run inning in the fifth on Monday, marking the sixth time this season they've scored six or more runs in a single inning....Boston pitchers have allowed only 12 earned runs in their last five games for a 2.51 ERA. In the 30 games since April 24, Sox pitchers have allowed more than five earned runs just three times....In the last 29 games, Red Sox relievers have an MLB-best ERA of 2.48 while allowing a batting average against of .190 with a 1.09 WHIP....Since joining the Red Sox on April 20, Michael Chavis leads the Sox with 10 homers and is tied for the club lead with 26....In the last 34 games, Mookie Betts has a slash line of .343/.454/.537 with 11 doubles and five homers in that span. He's scored 31 games in that span.....J.D. Martinez has seven homers in his last 14 games..Since the start of 2017, he's second in the majors leagues with 99 homers and second in RBI with 265....Including the postseason, the Red Sox are 43-9 when Martinez homers....In his last 23 games, Christian Vazquez is hitting .354 with a .919 OPS....Andrew Benintendi is hitless in his last eight at-bats....Xander Bogaerts is batting .367 over the last 15 games...Mitch Moreland is without a hit in his last nine at-bats...David Price has the best ERA of any Red Sox starter at 3.24....In his last six starts, he has a 2.12 ERA...In his last start, Saturday in Houston, he left the game after just 15 pitches with flu-like symptoms...Francisco Lindor is just 2-for-11....Carlos Santana is 11-for-34 (.324)….The Red Sox have never faced Zach Plesac, the nephew of former major league reliever Dan Plesac…..Zach Plesac is making his major league debut.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Andrew Benintendi is being given the night off. Alex Cora said he wanted to do it on the road but couldn't as J.D. Martinez was out of five of the seven games. Cora said he's not worried about Benintendi in the leadoff spot despite his struggles in the first inning (3-for-39), noting his OBP (.354) is still pretty good.
- Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) will throw a simulated game either Thursday or Friday in New York, then likely, a rehab start for an affiliate somewhere.
- Brian Johnson remains on a rehab assignment, but hasn't had good results and Cora said he needs at least one more outing before being called up.