Red Sox Beat Indians 3-2 For 4th Straight Win
By The Sports Xchange | Box Score
CLEVELAND -- David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr. each homered in a three-run sixth inning, and that was all the Boston Red Sox needed to post a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Monday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Cleveland had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the ninth as Francisco Lindor led off the inning with a double into the left-field corner against Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel.
Mike Napoli drew a walk, and was replaced by pinch runner Tyler Naquin. Kimbrel struck out Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis before Abraham Almonte popped out to second on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
The contest was a makeup of a game that was postponed on April 7 due to inclement weather.
Boston has won four in a row and halted Cleveland's four-game winning streak.
Drew Pomeranz (1-2) pitched into the eighth inning to get the win. Kimbrel picked up his 20th save.
Boston's blasts came off Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin (11-6), who came into the game tied for the American League lead with 27 home runs allowed.
Trailing 2-1, the Red Sox started the sixth inning with a single to left field by Dustin Pedroia. Tomlin struck out Xander Bogaerts for the first out, but Oritz hit Tomlin's first pitch deep into the seats in right field, a drive estimated at 427 feet, for his 27th home run. Ortiz is 3-for-17 in his career against Tomlin and all three hits are home runs.
Tomlin retired the next hitter, Mookie Betts, on a fly ball to center for the second out. Bradley then worked the count to 3-2 and pounded a ball over the right-field wall for his 19th home run, giving Boston a 3-1 lead.
Tomlin gave up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 7 2/3 innings.
Rajai Davis gave Cleveland an early 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, when he belted a 3-2 pitch from Pomeranz over the center-field wall for his 11th home run.
Trailing 3-1, Cleveland made it a one-run game in the eighth inning when Chris Gimenez doubled and scored on a two-out double down the right field line by Davis, cutting the Boston lead to 3-2.
Pomeranz was removed from the game following Davis' hit. Fernando Abad retired Jose Ramirez on a fly ball to end the inning.
Davis' home run halted a streak in which Pomeranz retired the first nine batters he faced. The 27-year-old left-hander was Cleveland's first-round pick and fifth overall in the 2010 June Draft.
In 2011, the Indians traded Pomeranz to Colorado as part of a trade that brought Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland.
On Monday Pomeranz made his first career start in Cleveland, and it was a memorable one.
Pomeranz pitched out of potential trouble in the fifth and seventh innings, when the leadoff hitter reached base both times. In the fifth, Brandon Guyer led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Cleveland could not score with a runner on second and nobody out as Pomeranz struck out Almonte and Gimenez and retired Michael Martinez on a fly ball to center.
Mike Napoli led off the Cleveland seventh by drawing a walk, but Pomeranz got the next hitter, Carlos Santana, to ground into a double play, and then retired Guyer on a groundout to end that inning.
In 7 2/3 innings Pomeranz gave up two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
NOTES: The Red Sox placed INF Hanley Ramirez on the bereavement list, placed RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) on the disabled list and optioned LHP Roenis Elias to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Red Sox also recalled RHP Heath Hembree, INF Marco Hernandez and INF Deven Marrero from Pawtucket. ... Red Sox No. 9 hitters lead the majors in batting average (.289), on base percentage (.350), slugging percentage (.438), OPS (.788), runs, hits, doubles, triples and RBIs. Boston's most used No. 9 hitters and their batting averages: OF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.363), C Sandy Leon (.500), Hernandez (.355) and OF Andrew Benintendi (.381). ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis was given a previously scheduled day off Monday. ... Indians RHP Danny Salazar is expected to come off the disabled list and start Thursday's game against the White Sox.
