Boston’s David Ortiz hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning and the Red Sox hung on to beat Cleveland 3-2 on Monday, leaving the top three teams in the American League East division separated by just one game.
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David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr. each homered in a three-run sixth inning, and that was all the offense Boston would need.
“His back was against the wall, obviously, in a one-run game, but certainly the best option that we have”, Farrell said of Kimbrel. But Kimbrel struck out Carlos Santana and pinch hitter Jason Kipnis before getting Abe Almonte to pop to second to end the game. Davis said. “When we do get there, we’ll be ready”. “We had a lot of deep at-bats, but Kimbrel throws 98”. Not too sure you can hit the slider and the fastball.
Boston has won four in a row while Cleveland’s four-game winning streak came to a halt.
Pomeranz, who was drafted No. 5 overall by Cleveland in the 2010 draft but never made a major-league appearance for the team, has not gone more than six innings in any of his five starts for the Red Sox.Tomlin is trying to bounce back from two straight awful starts and was ripped for a total of 14 runs and 17 hits in 8 2/3 innings at NY and Washington.
For four months, the Red Sox haven’t won many games that fit this description: low-scoring, close, against quality opponents. The 31-year-old Texan yielded a home run in each of those two losses and is tied for the major-league lead with 27 homers allowed. “Big Papi” hit his 27th homer of the season, and has cleared the fences in all three Boston games at Cleveland this year. “I think what I’m liking right now is, I don’t want to say makeup because I don’t know his makeup as well right now, but just his whole approach. I thought his stuff looked crisp like the Tomlin we have seen so often”.
Ramirez attempted to steal third and was initially called out before a four-minute and 20-second review took place just to have the call stay in place despite Ramirez looking safe. “It seems like every inning I’m having to work around guys, and when I make a mistake, I pay for it with a crooked number”. With Tomlin leading the Major League Baseball in HR’s allowed, it’s going to be interesting to see what the Red Sox and their unsafe bats have in store for him. “He doesn’t walk anybody”, Farrell said.
If Benintendi keeps hitting then he may prove worthy of moving up in the lineup, but good luck finding someone in this Red Sox lineup that deserves to be bumped down. Then, immediately following this, Rajai Davis led off the fourth by hitting a home run off Drew Pomeranz. He’s not the only player with success at the plate, as Dustin Pedroia also collected five hits and Jackie Bradley Jr hit two home runs.
Once again, Farrell left himself open to second-guessing by sticking with Pomeranz to face Davis again with a runner on second in the eighth.
In 2011, the Indians traded Pomeranz to Colorado as part of a trade that brought Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland.
Seattle ace Felix Hernandez steered the Mariners to a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels, sending them to an 11th consecutive defeat to match a franchise record.
“I always loved hitting in this park”. He pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career.
Conversely, Boston starter Drew Pomeranz, once a high-rising minor leaguer with the Indians, struck out five and allowed only three hits, two walks and one earned run over seven innings of work against the very organization that selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.
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That is all the more reason that the Red Sox must continue to win games like they did Monday.
