Facing reigning American League Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, a red-hot Red Sox offense battered the Indians’ ace early on Wednesday night, swatting four home runs and holding on for a 6-4 rubber-game victory at Fenway Park.
Designated hitter David Ortiz sparked the scoring for Boston by belting a leadoff home run in the second, giving him 26 for the season and 492 for his career. Right-hander Joe Kelly picked up his fourth straight win and produced six solid innings, benefiting from a trio of double plays while limiting Cleveland to one run (none earned) on five hits.
“We’ve been scoring a lot of runs, so that always helps,” said Kelly, who owns a 1.56 ERA in his last three starts. “Just trying to keep hitters off balance, not necessarily keep pounding fastballs away. I’ve been throwing some offspeed pitches for strikes, and that’s definitely helped, especially with guys on base.”
For Kluber, the career-high four homers surrendered accounted for all six runs allowed in his six innings of work. He scattered only two other hits while punching out nine and walking one. Yan Gomes smacked an opposite-field three-run homer in the eighth, and Michael Brantley collected three hits in the losing effort.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
