Leading by a run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and seemingly headed for a sweep, the Red Sox instead imploded, allowing three runs to the Cleveland Indians, leading to a stunning 7-5 defeat.
Austin Davis allowed a game-tying homer to Austin Hedges, then yielded a single and run-scoring double. Matt Barnes took over from there and Xander Bogaerts couldn't hold on to a line drive for another single, resulting in another run scoring.
The Sox led 4-0 at one point, but things went downhill from there despite two solo homers by Rafael Devers, as a three-game winning streak was snapped.
WHO: Red Sox (75-56 ) vs. Cleveland Indians (63-64)
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Progressive Field
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 2-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Tanner Houck (0-3, 3.43 ) vs. RHP Eli Morgan (2-6, 5.98)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Schwarber LF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo RF
Plawecki C
Dalbec 1B
Duran CF
Arauz 2B
INDIANS
Straw CF
Rosario SS
Ramirez 3B
Reyes DH
Zimmer RF
Bradley 1B
Ramos C
Johnson LF
Gimenez 2B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B8: The Red Sox fall apart with Davis allowing three runs, aided by an interference call on Yairo Munoz.
B7: Schwarber misplays a ball hit by Ramirez, that falls in on the warning track for a run-scoring double, putting the potential tying run in scoring position.
T7: Second homer of the afternoon for Devers gives the Sox a little breathing room - they lead by two runs again.
B6: Wilson Ramos lines a single to left off Taylor and two inherited runners from Houck score, very quickly, it's a one-run game.
B6: Houck hits a wall in the sixth, with a hard out to the warning track, a solo homer and consecutive hit batsmen. He gives the Sox 5.1 innings of one-run ball, but the Sox would have liked more. Josh Taylor on.
B6: Indians finally break through against Houck with a blast into the right field seats as Jose Ramirez crushes a splitter for his 31st homer.
T5: J.D. Martinez picks up where he left off Saturday, smoking a double to the warning track in center, scoring Kyle Schwarber from first base. That's four RBI in his last four plate appearances.
B4: Jonathan Arauz removed from the game and replaced at second base by Yairo Munoz. Appeared as though Arauz might have tweaked an oblique or hip muscle.
T4: Jarren Duran works a bases-loaded walk, forcing in another run.
T4: Nicely executed hit-and-run as Alex Verdugo drills a single up the middle, sending Xander Bogaerts to third. Sox have been putting baserunners in motion more of late, trying to jump-start the offense.
B3: Tanner Houck has three shutout innings under his belt, but in a game in which the Red Sox are very short in the bullpen and need length from their starter, Houck has already thrown 49 pitches.
T2: Bobby Dalbec keeps it going with a solo shot on a changeup down in the zone. That's six homers this month for Dalbec.
T1: Rafael Devers gets the Red Sox off to good start right away, crushing a fastball over the heart of the plate down the line and out to RF. No. 31 for Devers, who is closing in on 100 RBI (he's got 95).
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won each of their last 3 games, as well as 5 of their last 6...They are 10-6 in their last 16 games, after going 2-10 from 7/29-8/10. The Sox are 20-20 since the All-Star break...They are 12- 16 since 7/29, after starting the season 63-40 (.612). The Sox are 19 games above .500...The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 series...They have won each of their last 3 series, matching their longest streak of the season (4th time). The Sox snapped a streak of 4 consecutive series losses on the road (11-10-0 in road series overall). The Sox have swept 6 series of 3+ games this season... They last swept a series of 3+ games in Cleveland in April 2013 (3-0) and June 2005 (3-0)...The Red Sox are 9-4 in extra-inning games, MLB’s 5th-best record...They are 6-1 in extra-inning games on the road, the best record in the majors among teams who have played at least 4 extra-inning road games. ..The Red Sox are in a stretch of playing a game on 17 consecutive days from 8/23-9/8 (5-1 so far). 13 of the Sox’ next 17 games are against teams that entered today with a winning record (CLE-1, TB-4, CLE-3, TB-3, CWS-3, SEA-3). ...The Red Sox have homered in each of their last 6 games (15 HR total), matching their second-longest streak of the season (8 straight from 4/4-13). J.D. Martinez broke last night’s 2-2 tie with a 3-run HR in the 10th inning...The Sox lead MLB with 33 HR with at least 2 runners on base (30 three-run, 3 grand slams)...In the last 3 games, the Red Sox bullpen has allowed 0 ER in 10.1 IP and held opponents to a .114 AVG (4-for-35)...Sox relievers also allowed only 1 hit in 5.0 scoreless innings on Wednesday vs. MIN (5th-9th inn.) before giving up 5 runs in the 10th inning. In 6 games since moving to the bullpen, Garrett Richards has recorded a 0.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and .184 opponent AVG (10.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 12 SO)....In their last 3 games, Red Sox starting pitchers are 2-0 with 7 ER allowed in 17.2 IP (3.57 ERA). In their last 20 games (beginning 8/7), Sox starters lead the AL with a 4.91 SO/BB ratio (113 SO, 23 BB)...In that time, they are 7-4 with a 3.54 ERA (40 ER/101.2 IP). Only 7 pitchers have started a game for the Sox, the fewest in the majors...They have not used fewer than 8 starting pitchers in a season since 1965 (7)...Beginning 8/7, Nathan Eovaldi (4 GS) and Chris Sale (3 GS) have combined to post a 2.03 ERA with 51 SO and 5 BB (9 ER/40.0 IP). In his last 4 starts, Eovaldi has a 1.85 ERA (5 ER/24.1 IP) with 30 SO and only 2 BB...Since the start of 2020, he owns MLB’s lowest walk rate (4.0%; min. 150.0 IP).....The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (270) and XBH (459) and rank 4th in runs per game (5.07), 3rd in AVG (.259), 2nd in SLG (.445), and 3rd in OPS (.770). The Sox own MLB’s best record when scoring 4+ runs (.848, 67-12)...They have scored 10+ runs 17 times (most in AL) and 15+ runs 3 times (tied for most in AL). In their last 18 games (beginning 8/8), the Sox have scored 121 runs (6.7/game) with a batting line of .281/.366/.504...They scored 6+ runs in 10 of those 18 games, after doing so in none of their previous 15....In his 12 games with the Red Sox, Kyle Schwarber has recorded a .385/.529/.641/1.170 batting line (15-for-39, 12 BB, 4 2B, 2 HR). Schwarber hit .400 with a .571 OBP in his first 10 games with the Sox (12-for-30, 12 BB)...According to Elias, that is the highest OBP ever by a player in their first 10 games with the Sox (min. 20 PA), surpassing Jimmy Piersall’s .567 mark from 1950-51.. Among the 181 pitchers with at least 60.0 IP this season, Garrett Whitlock ranks 2nd in the AL and 4th in MLB with a 1.57 ERA...He has made 22 scoreless appearances of more than 1.0 IP, the most in MLB.
NOTES:
* The Red Sox announced that INF Christian Arroyo tested positive for COVID and will be lost to the team for an extended period. Previously, Arroyo had been identified as a close contact after INF/OF Kike Hernandez tested positive. Arroyo and Hernandez will have to remain in Cleveland, quarantined, when the team leaves for Tampa Bay after Sunday's game.
* Alex Cora said the Sox have adequate coverage in the infield for the day. Danny Santana is wrapping up his rehab and could join the Sox Monday in Tampa.
* Hunter Renfroe, whose father passed away recently, remains on the bereavement list, away from the team. It's unclear when Renfroe will rejoin the team.
* "We need some quick outs early on so he could go deep into the game,'' said Cora of Tanner Houck. "We're not at full-force in the bullpen. We've got to take care of certain guys. Some guys have to step up.''
* The Sox are undecided on a pitcher for Tuesday at Tropicana Field. "It all depends on where we're at as far as bullpen usage,' said Cora. "It might be a bullpen day Tuesday -- if we're capable of doing it.''