CLEVELAND — The Boston Red Sox will finish with a record worse than .500.
The Red Sox suffered an 8-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night at Progressive Field. The loss was Boston’s 82nd of 2015, meaning the club no longer can break even this weekend.
The loss also was Boston’s second straight on the heels of six consecutive wins, as the Red Sox suffered a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
GAME IN A WORD
Snapped.
Henry Owens bent but didn’t break in the first inning while struggling to throw strikes. He couldn’t show the same resistance in the third inning, though, as the Indians seized control of the game.
Carlos Santana cleared the bases with a three-run double after Owens issued a walk and surrendered two singles. Santana smoked a line drive over Mookie Betts’ head in left-center field.
The Indians added another run moments later when Chris Johnson plated Santana with a single into right field.
That wasn’t all. Owens allowed three more runs and recorded just one out in the fifth inning before Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo took the baseball.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Indians padded their lead in the fifth inning.
David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Owens then came back out and worked around a single en route to a scoreless frame. But the Tribe recaptured momentum in the fifth. And that was that.
Owens gave up two doubles, two singles and a walk in the fifth before Lovullo saw enough.
ON THE BUMP
— It’s been an interesting season for Owens, who has had some highs and some lows in his first taste of major league action. Friday’s performance was a tough way to cap the campaign.
Owens allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four, walked four and labored through 107 pitches (61 strikes) as his ERA jumped from 3.84 to 4.57.
Owens will end his rookie season on a sour note, but the experience he garnered in the big leagues should serve him well moving forward. The Red Sox obviously have high hopes for the 23-year-old.
— Jonathan Aro tossed 2 2/3 innings in relief. He surrendered only one hit — a home run to Jerry Sands in the seventh inning — and struck out four.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Ortiz demolished his 37th home run of the season off Indians starter Josh Tomlin. The wind was howling at Progressive Field, yet the 39-year-old slugger still managed to drive the ball 403 feet.
Ortiz’s 37 home runs are his most in a season since blasting a Red Sox single-season-record 54 homers in 2006. His 107 RBIs are his most since racking up 117 in 2007.
— Xander Bogaerts, who scored on Ortiz’s home run, reached base twice via a single and a walk. He has 195 hits this season.
— The Red Sox finished with just five hits. Ortiz’s home run was the only one that went for extra bases.
— Boston finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Still doing his thing.
UP NEXT
Two games separate the Red Sox and Indians from the offseason. Craig Breslow will start Saturday night for Boston and could throw 50 to 60 pitches, according to Lovullo.
Breslow will face the reigning American League Cy Young award winner, Corey Kluber. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, though rain is in the forecast in Cleveland.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
