Red Sox recap: Offense erupts for 13 runs off 15 hits, Brayan Bello works 6 innings in series win over Guardians

The Red Sox’ offense exploded for 13 runs off 15 hits, leading them to a series win over the Guardians on Sunday afternoon.

Boston started their scoring onslaught in the second when Rob Refsnyder belted a solo line drive homer over the wall in left to put the Sox on top, 1-0.

Kristian Campbell’s alert base running put the Sox up by two runs later on in the frame. With Campbell on third base and one out, Ceddanne Rafaela hit a shallow fly ball to center. He didn’t initially attempt to tag up and score on the sac fly but changed his mind and sprinted home after cutoff man Carlos Santana was unable to field a high cutoff throw from the center fielder Angel Martinez.

Santana tried to throw out Campbell at home, but he dove headfirst into the plate, scoring the club’s second run of the inning.

In the fourth, Campbell doubled to lead off the inning and would later score on Rafaela’s sac fly to center field, making it 3-0. The 22-year-old also added a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning to put the Sox up 6-0.

Campbell had a big game; he went 2-for-4 with three walks, four runs scored, and two RBI in the Red Sox’ 13-3 win on Sunday. With the three walks on Sunday, he has 18 this season, which leads all rookies in baseball.

Rafaela drove in a season-high five runs and crushed his second homer of the season in the seventh. He hit a three-run blast off Cleveland’s Joey Cantillo after Gonzalez opened the inning by reaching on a fielding error by third baseman Will Wilson and Campbell drew a walk.

Every player in the Red Sox lineup contributed on Sunday, with everyone collecting at least one hit. The only Sox batter to not score a run in the rout over Cleveland was Jarren Duran.

BELLO EARNS WIN

Brayan Bello made his second start of the season and earned the win after pitching six innings, allowing three runs off six hits while walking three and striking out four. He’s won his first two starts of this season after spending the first month on the injured list and making rehab starts in the minors.

The Guardians' offense couldn’t solve Bello, who didn’t allow a run to score until the sixth inning.

Bello wore custom cleats that honored the victims of the tragedy in the Dominican Republic on April 8th.

DURAN DURAN

Duran collected four hits, finishing the afternoon 4-for-6, with an RBI. The speedy outfielder entered the series just 3-for-32 against left-handed pitchers this season. Duran was able to hit the Guardians' southpaws in this series, collecting six hits in eight at-bats, which included his 3-for-3 performance off lefty Logan Allen.

Duran appeared to get into a verbal shouting match with a fan between the top and bottom of the seventh inning. Red Sox coaches and players, including Rafaela, were seen holding back Duran, who was shouting at the fan in the stands.

Duran flied out to center field in the seventh inning, a fan in the crowd yelled at Duran, “Go (expletive) kill yourself.” That’s according to media accounts on site in Cleveland. 

“When you open yourself up like that, you’re also opening yourself up to the enemies," Duran said. "But I have a good support staff around me — teammates, coaches and fans that were supporting me. So that was awesome."

STEALING HOME, AGAIN

Duran’s steal of home in the second game of the day/night doubleheader was the first straight steal of home in 16 years since Jacoby Ellsbury.

On Sunday, the Sox stole home again, not the same way Duran did the night prior. Romy Gonzalez stole home on a double steal in the fifth to make it 7-0 at the time. Campbell stole second on catcher Bo Naylor. Gonzalez turned on the jets and beat out second baseman Daniel Schneemann’s throw to the plate.

BACK-TO-BACK DEVERS

Rafael Devers hammered his second home run of the series and his fourth of the season in the sixth to make it 9-0.

He had a solid three-game set with the Guardians, going 5-for-13 with two homers, a double, and two walks.

NORTH OF THE BORDER

The Red Sox took the three-game series versus the Guardians and improved to 16-14 on the season.

Boston will have Monday off and then begin a three-game series against division rival Toronto Blue Jays. Garrett Crochet will start the series opener on Tuesday, with Lucas Giolito making his Red Sox debut on Wednesday. Tanner Houck is in line to start the finale on Thursday.