All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Indians, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Houck allows just two hits but can't go deep: Thanks to all their bullpen usage in the last few days, the Red Sox went into the afternoon with a very short pen, with a number of relievers already deemed unavailable because of their heavy workload. That meant the Sox needed Tanner Houck to eat up some innings for them. But despite not allowing a hit until the sixth -- a solo homer by Jose Ramirez -- Houck was able to give them just 5.1 innings, requiring the overtaxed Boston relievers to handle the final 11 outs. Houck seemed to hit a wall after the fifth, which interestingly enough, it came as he started to face the Cleveland lineup for the third time through the order. After getting a terrific catch from Alex Verdugo for the first out, Houck then allowed the homer to Ramirez before hitting consecutive hitters, requiring the hook. The real problem, however, could be traced to earlier in the game, when Houck had two 20-pitch innings, driving up his pitch count.
Bullpen spits the bit: The Sox went into the game knowing that they would be without a number of their most dependable relievers, including mainstays Adam Ottavino and Garrett Whitlock, their two-best high leverage arms throughout the season. It didn't go well. Josh Taylor allowed two inherited runners to score. Hansel Robles gave up a run in the seventh, and Austin Davis poured gas on the fire in the eighth, allowing three straight two-out hits. A strike away from getting out of the inning with a one-run lead, Davis saw a quick-pitch cutter leak back over the plate and Austin Hedges hit it out for a game-tying blast. Then, things snowballed with a single, and with some help from Yairio Munoz (interference), a run-scoring double. Finally, Matt Barnes, who had lost his closer's role for the time being, came in and allowed another run-scoring single. The bullpen hadn't allowed an earned run over the previous 10.1 innings, but without the use of their most reliable options in the pen, you could almost see the disaster coming.
TURNING POINT
You can track this loss back to the sixth, the final inning for Houck, when, after allowing a homer to Jose Ramirez, he then hit the next two batters -- both times, after he was ahead in the count, with two strikes on both. Houck was relieved by Josh Taylor, who promptly gave up a two-run single, meaning that both of the hit batsmen scored. It's one thing to put runners on base in that situation; it's another to do it when you're on the verge of getting them out.
ONE UP
Rafael Devers: Maybe he carrying some anger from being shown up by Cal Quantrill on Saturday, but Devers came out swinging, hitting a solo homer in the first and adding another one in the seventh.
TWO DOWN
Kyle Schwarber: Schwarber didn't contribute much from the top of the lineup with three strikeouts and one walk in five plate appearances. Worse, he misplayed a ball that appeared catchable when it fell onto the warning track.
Austin Davis: Ordinarily, he wouldn't be the guy the Sox turn to with a one-run lead in the eighth. But it was job to get through the inning with the lead intact, and with two outs, Davis fell apart, allowing three straight hits.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It had to be perfect and it wasn't.'' Alex Cora on attempting to piece the game together with a short bullpen.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The multi-homer game for Rafael Devers was the ninth of his career.
* The Red Sox have homered in seven straight games. They hit three, giving them 18 over the last seven games.
* The loss was the seventh suffered by the Sox this season when they lead after seven innings.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox begin a huge four-game series at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10, with RHP Nick Pivetta (9-6, 4.57) vs. RHP Luis Patino (3-3, 4.53).