Just when it seemed like the Red Sox might have another comeback in mind, the Cleveland Indians ended any chance of that with five-insurance runs in the top of the ninth to seal an 11-5 victory for the visitors, snapping Boston's four-game winning streak.
The Sox fell behind early, 6-0, when Kutter Crawford, filling in for Nick Pivetta, allowed five runs in just over two innings in his major league debut. The Sox got good relief work for a while as they clawed back with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
But they also wasted a number of scoring chances, finishing 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the Indians put the game away in the top of the ninth when the first six hitters reached base against Phillips Valdez.
WHO: Red Sox (79-59) vs. Cleveland Indians (67-66)
WHEN: 1:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: BOS 4-1
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 2-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Kutter Crawford (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Zach Plesac (9-4, 4.49 )
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
INDIANS
Straw CF
Rosario SS
Reyes DH
Bradley 1B
Ramirez LF
Zimmer RF
Miller 3B
Hedges C
Gimenez 2B
RED SOX
Schwarber LF
Renfroe RF
Martinez DH
Verdugo CF
Plawecki C
Shaw 1B
Dalbec 3B
Lopez 2B
Arauz SS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B6: J.D. Martinez drills a fastball up and on the inner half into the home bullpen for a two-run homer, and the Red Sox are back to within a run.
T6: Taylor Motter, acquired earlier this week, makes his debut at second base and ranges behind the second-base bag to glove a chopper by Myles Straw, saving a run.
B5: For the third time in the first five innings, the Red Sox leave baserunners at second-and-third. This time, they had three chances and failed to produce a run. Sox are 3-for-13 with RISP today.
B5: Travis Shaw misses a three-run homer by inches, and settles for a run-scoring double off the bullpen wall, scoring Alex Verdugo and sending Kevin Plawecki to third.
B5: Red Sox finally on the board, with some help from the Indians. After a booming double from Hunter Renfroe, J.D. Martinez hits a sinking liner that Harold Ramirez attempts to shoestring...only to have the ball tick off his glove and roll behind him for a gift double.
B4: Once again, Schwarber comes up with runners at second and third and two out....and this time goes down swinging.
T3: Crawford's debut is over after two-plus innings. John Schreiber on.
T3: Franmil Reyes, who tied the game with a two-run shot in the ninth inning Saturday, strikes again, nearly clearing everything in LF against Crawford.
B2: Kyle Schwarber checks his swing and rolls out to third. Schwarber is disgusted with himself as he trots to first. Sox have stranded three baserunners in scoring position over the first two innings.
T2: Crawford was a strike away from getting out of the second, but gave up an 0-and-2 soft liner to center, enough to score Owen Miller from third base.
B1: Red Sox have first-and-second, one out, but can't get a run out of it as Alex Verdugo hits a bullet to Bradley Zimmer in RF and Kevin Plawecki grounds to short.
T1: Kutter Crawford finds himself in a jam right away -- bases loaded and no out after a leadoff walk and two sharp singles to CF.
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won their last 4 games, tied for the AL’s longest active win streak...They are 9-4 in their last 13 games and 4-0-1 in their last 5 series. Last night, the Sox moved to 20 games above .500 for the first time since 8/1 (63-43). ....The Red Sox earned their 6th walkoff win of the season last night when Alex Verdugo hit a bases-loaded single with 2 outs in the 9th inning. The Sox improved to 24-14 (.632) in 1-run games, MLB’s 4th-best record...They have won each of their last 3 games decided by 1 run. Prior to last night, Adam Ottavino had gone nearly
an entire year without giving up a home run (last:
9/7/20)...He had allowed 0 HR to 263 consecutive
batters and in a career-best 65 consecutive games. ....Last night, all 4 of the Red Sox’ RBI
came with 2 strikes (Devers’ 3-run HR & Verdugo’s walk-off
single)...The Sox have 43 more 2-strike RBI than any other
team (BOS-283, CIN-240, HOU-235, SF-232, CWS-231).
With 2 strikes, the Sox also lead MLB in XBH (170)...
They lead MLB with 16 HR in 0-2 counts.
The Sox lead the majors in runs scored with 2 outs
(293)...With RISP & 2 outs, they lead the majors in
AVG (.273) and OPS (.861)....The Red Sox have won each of their
last 3 home games...They are also 5-1 in their last 6, 9-2 in
their last 11, and 24-9 (.727) in their last 33 (since 6/14)...
Overall, their .623 win % at home ranks 6th in MLB.
Among AL teams at home, the Sox rank 1st in runs per
game (5.72), AVG (.276), and OPS (.820).
In their last 13 home games, the Sox have scored 107
runs (8.2 per game) and hit 26 HR. ...Rafael Devers broke yesterday’s scoreless tie with a 3-run HR...The Sox lead MLB with 35 HR with at least 2 runners on base (32 three-run, 3 grand slams). The Sox rank 4th in the AL with 183 HR...Their homers have averaged a projected distance of 405 feet, tied for the 3rd-longest average in the majors. The Sox have hit 4+ HR in a game 13 times, the most by any team in MLB this season and the 2nd-most of any season in franchise history (15 times in 1977). SLUGGING SOX: The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (280) and XBH (481) and rank 6th in runs per game (5.03), 3rd in AVG (.259), 2nd in SLG (.445), and 3rd in OPS (.771). The Sox own MLB’s best record when scoring 4+ runs (.833, 70-14)...They have scored 10+ runs 17 times (3rd in MLB) and 15+ runs 3 times (T-2nd in MLB). ....From the No. 9 spot in the batting order, the Red Sox lead the majors in HR (16) and XBH (43)...Half of those 16 HR have come in the Sox’ last 21 games. The Sox have hit more than 16 HR from the No. 9 spot in the order only 3 times: 2003 (24), 2011 (18), and 1999 (17)...They also hit 16 in 2001, 2013, and 2019. ...This is the first time the Red Sox have won their first 4 games of September since 2008 (also started 4-0)... They have not started 5-0 in September since 2003. The Sox are in a stretch of playing a game on 17 consecutive days from 8/23-9/8 (9-4 so far). Each of the Sox’ next 10 games is against a team that entered today with a winning record (CLE-1, TB-3, CWS-3, SEA-3)...The Sox’ 9 games prior to today were also against teams that entered today with a winning record (went 6-3 in those games).... During the club’s current 4-game win streak, Red Sox pitchers have posted a 2.50 ERA (10 ER/36.0 IP) with 37 SO and 9 BB...In those games, Sox starters own a 1.93 ERA (5 ER/23.1 IP). The Sox have won each of their last 7 games started by Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, and Eduardo Rodriguez... Beginning 8/10, those 3 pitchers are a combined 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA (24 ER/80.0 IP), 16 BB, and 88 S0....Last night, Devers set a new career high in HR (33) and recorded his 98th, 99th, and 100th RBI of the season...This is his 2nd time hitting 30+ HR (32 in 2019) and 2nd time recording 100+ RBI (115 in 2019). Devers is the 13th player to record multiple 30/100 seasons with the Sox, but only the 2nd to do so before turning 25 years old (also Ted Williams)....In 19 games with the Red Sox, Kyle
Schwarber has a .338/.464/.603/1.067 batting line...He has reached base 39 times, the most by a player in their first 19 games with the Sox since Manny Ramirez in 2001 (42).
Since returning from the IL on 8/13, Schwarber ranks
among AL leaders (min. 75 PA) in AVG (9th, .338), OBP
(2nd, .464), SLG (8th, .603), and OPS (6th, 1.067). ...The Red Sox have used 50 players this
season, their most since 2016 (also 50)...They last used
more than 50 players in a season in 2015 (51).
The Sox have used 32 pitchers, the most in a season
in franchise history...That includes 4 position players
(Araúz, Arroyo, Gonzalez, Plawecki).
The Sox have used 28 true pitchers (excluding position
players), tied for the most in franchise history (2006). ...The Red Sox have 12 players on the injured
list, including 2 of their top 4 leaders in FanGraphs’ WAR
(Xander Bogaerts-4.5 and Kiké Hernández-3.6). 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). In the 2 months from the time he returned to the leadoff spot to the time he was placed on the IL (6/27-8/26), Kiké Hernández led the AL in OBP (.409).
NOTES:
* The Red Sox were forced to scratch scheduled starter Nick Pivetta from his start, as he was placed on the COVID-IL list. Alex Cora hinted that it was a testing issue, whereby Pivetta may have received a false positive. "Sometimes, the results don't match up,'' said Cora. "Out of precaution, we (placed him on the IL). Hopefully, nothing happens and he'll be back with us (soon).'' He's schedule to undergo additional testing throughout the day. With Pivetta unavailable, the Sox went with Kutter Crawford, called up from Triple A Worcester. Crawford was recently scratched from his start for Worcester for just this possibility. "He's a full go,'' said Cora. "We'll manage it as a group. He'll go five and we'll see where we go from there. He throws strikes and his stuff is really good. He controls both sides of the plate. He can elevate, he can expand with his off-speed pitches. We're comfortable with him and we expect him to be able to go out and compete and give us a chance to win the game.'' A 2017 16th-round draft pick of the Sox, Crawford is 17-20 with a 3,56 ERA in 63 minor league appearances. He began the year at Double A Portland before earning a promotion to Triple A in July.
* Rafael Devers was given the day off. "It just makes sense to give him a day,'' said Cora. "This is probably his last off-day of the season, with all the (scheduled) off-days coming up.''
* Kike Hernandez is in Boston and going through COVID protocols, which include cardiology tests. Cora said Hernandez could rejoin the team by Wednesday at the latest, but possibly as early as Tuesday. Christian Arroyo is likely to be the next to rejoin the team.
* Darwinzon Hernandez threw his second live BP Sunday morning. The Sox will make a decision Monday whether he needs a brief rehab assignment at Worcester. If not he could rejoin the major league club sooner.