After coughing up a two-run lead, the Red Sox erupted for five runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Cleveland Indians, 8-4, for their third straight win.
The Indians had used a two-run homer from Austin Hedges in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 3-3 before Kyle Schwarber stroked a two-run double and Hunter Renfroe reached the Monster Seats with two runners on to pull away again.
The Sox hit four homers, the 13th time they've hit at least that many in a game this season.
WHO: Red Sox (77-59) vs. Cleveland Indians (67-64 )
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: BOS 2-1
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (10-8, 3.71) vs. RHP Cal Quantrill (4-2, 2.93 )
TV/RADIO:: NESN;; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Schwarber LF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Verdugo CF
Renfroe RF
Plawecki C
Dalbec 1B
Lopez 2B
Arauz SS
INDIANS
Straw CF
Rosario SS
Ramirez 3B
Reyes DH
Zimmer RF
Mercado LF
Bradley 1B
Hedges C
Gimenez 2b
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T8: First appearance of the season for Ryan Brasier.
B7: Huge inning for the Sox, who erupt for five runs -- two on a double by Schwarber and three more on a homer that just reached the Monster Seats by Hunter Renfroe.
T7: For the second time this week, Austin Hedges croaks the Red Sox with a big homer. He hit one Sunday in Cleveland's comeback win and belts another here to tie the game at 2-2. This is just the third start this season in which Eovaldi allowed multiple homers.
T7: Eovaldi starts the 7th at 86 pitches. Would expect this will be it for him.
B4: Make it three solo homers for the Sox off Quantrill. This time, it's Jonathan Arauz going over the Sox bullpen. All three homers tonight have been no-doubters. Meanwhile, Arauz has two homers this season and both have come vs. the Indians.
T4: Jose Ramirez continues to crush the Red Sox. Belts a solo shot into the visitor's bullpen for first Cleveland run. That's three homers in the last four games against Boston.
B3: Red Sox miss out on a chance to build their lead as they load the bases with one out, but don't score.
B2: First major league hit for Jack Lopez is no cheapie -- a double up against the home bullpen in right.
B2: Kevin Plawecki sends a ball into the Monster Seats in a hurry, driving a sinker that got too much of the plate. That's his second of the season.
B1: It didn't take long for the Red Sox to grab a lead. Kyle Schwarber gets a hanging curveball from Cal Quantrill and deposits it a half-dozen rows up in the center field bleachers. That's 29 for the season for Schwarber and fourth since joining the Red Sox, who have homered in 10 of the last 11 games.
WHAT's UP: The Red Sox are 3-0-1 in their last 4 series (2-1 vs. TEX, 2-1 vs. MIN, 2-1 at CLE, 2-2 at TB). The Sox have won their last 2 games and are 7-4 in their last 11...They began the season 63-40 (.612) but are 14-19 since (beginning 7/29)...The Red Sox begin a 6-game homestand tonight, following a 4-3 road trip at CLE (2-1) and TB (2-2). The Sox are 7-2 in their last 9 home games and 22-9 (.710) in their last 31 (beginning 6/14)...Overall, their .612 win % at home ranks 4th in the AL (7th in MLB). In their last 11 home games, the Sox have scored 95 runs (8.6 per game) and hit 21 HR...They scored 6+ runs in 9 of those games and 11+ runs in 4 of them. 26 TO GO: The Red Sox are in a stretch of playing a game on 17 consecutive days from 8/23-9/8 (7-4 so far). Each of the Sox’ next 12 games is against a team that entered today with a winning record (CLE-3, TB3, CWS-3, SEA-3)...The Sox’ 7 games prior to tonight were also against teams that entered today with a winning record (CLE-3, TB-4). ....The Red Sox rank 2nd in the majors with 39 comeback wins (Rays-41)...In each of their 3 wins prior to last night’s shutout victory at TB, the Sox were tied or trailing when they came to bat in the 8th inning. ....Prior to last night, the Red Sox had homered in each of their previous 10 games (21 HR total), their longest streak of the season...The Sox lead MLB with 33 HR with at least 2 runners on base (30 three-run, 3 grand slams). The Sox have hit 4+ HR in a game 12 times, tied with the Giants for most in MLB (12-0 in those games).... The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (275) and XBH (471) and rank 5th in runs per game (5.01), 3rd in AVG (.259), 2nd in SLG (.443), and 3rd in OPS (.768). The Sox own the AL’s best record when scoring 4+ runs (.829, 68-14), tied with the Brewers for the best record in MLB...They have scored 10+ runs 17 times (most in AL) and 15+ runs 3 times (tied for most in AL). The Sox scored 7.0 runs per game during their 16-game stretch from 8/8-26, but they have scored 5 runs or fewer in each of their last 7 games (3.9 per game)...The Red Sox are 10 for their last 22 with RISP (10 singles)...They lead the majors in runs scored with 2 outs this season (285); with RISP & 2 outs, they lead the majors in AVG (.272) and OPS (.847). With 2 strikes, the Sox lead MLB in RBI (274) & XBH (166)...10 of their last 19 HR have been hit with 2 strikes...They lead MLB with 16 HR in 0-2 counts. The Sox’ 15 HR from the No. 9 spot in the batting order are tied for most in the majors...Their 41 XBH from that spot lead the majors...The Red Sox have allowed 0 runs in their last 15.0 innings, beginning with the 4th inning of Wednesday’s win at TB...Their longest scoreless streak of the season is 19.0 innings (4/27-29). The Sox held the Rays—who lead the majors with 5.31 runs scored per game—to 2 runs on Wednesday and 0 runs last night....Beginning 8/10, Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and Eduardo Rodriguez have combined to go 7-2 with a 2.57 ERA (21 ER/73.2 IP), 14 BB, and 79 SO in 13 starts...They allowed 2 ER or fewer in 11 of those 13 outings. In his last 4 starts, Eovaldi has a 1.85 ERA (5 ER/24.1 IP) with 30 SO and 2 BB...Since the start of 2020, he owns MLB’s lowest walk rate (4.0%; min. 150.0 IP)...This year, he leads qualified AL pitchers in HR/9.0 IP (0.72)...The Red Sox have 10 players on the injured list, including 2 of their top 4 leaders in FanGraphs’ WAR Xander Bogaerts (4.5) and Kiké Hernández (3.7). 4 of the Sox’ top 5 leaders in pitching appearances are on the IL: Matt Barnes (54), Josh Taylor (54), Hirokazu Sawamura (50), and Darwinzon Hernandez (41). ....Bobby Dalbec was named AL Rookie of the Month for August...Among AL players with at least 50 PA during the month, Dalbec ranked 1st in OPS (1.205), 2nd in OBP (.431), 2nd in SLG (.774), and 2nd in AVG (.339). In 133 career games, Dalbec has 26 HR, 79 RBI, and an .801 OPS...During his current 7-game hitting streak, he is 10-for-22 (.455) with 4 HR....Eovaldi has allowed 5 ER in 24. 1 IP over his last 4 starts...He has a 3.32 ERA (37 ER/100.1 IP) over his last 17 starts (beginning 5/22) and has issued 1 or 0 BB in 12 of his last 13 starts (84 SO, 9 BB). Eovaldi has issued 2 BB or fewer in each of his last 13 starts, the 2nd-longest single-season streak of his career...Among qualified AL pitchers, Eovaldi ranks 1st in HR/9.0 IP (0.72) and BB/9.0 IP (1.56)...Ranks 2nd SO/BB (5.92), FIP (2.81), and FanGraphs’ WAR (4.6). Leads Sox starters in innings (150.1). Has recorded a career-high 154 SO and has allowed 1 or 0 runs over 7.0+ IP 5 times this season. Has thrown at least 5.0 innings in 23 of his 26 starts (6.0+ IP in 11).
NOTES:
* OF Jarren Duran, who felt ill and was exhibiting symptoms earlier in the day, was placed on the COVID-IL, joining eight other Sox players. It's unclear if Duran tested positive or is merely a close contact. Duran was set to be in the original lineup, but was scratched, with Kyle Schwarber going from first to left, Alex Verdugo moving from left to center and Bobby Dalbec inserted at first.
* To take Duran's spot on the active roster, the Red Sox recalled C Connor Wong.
* Darwinzon Hernandez threw a live BP session and came through well. He's due for another on Monday, at which point the Sox could make a decision on his activation. He's been sldelined since last month with an oblique strain.
* Kike Hernandez was all but ruled out for a return to the Sox for this weekend, but could rejoin them early next week, according to Alex Cora. He could potentially be followed by Christian Arroyo by mid-week and Xander Bogaerts at the end of next week.