The Red Sox have hit another skid.
The Indians jumped out in front early and walked off with a win thanks to a Carlos Santana home run in the ninth after Boston came back to tie it with two outs the previous half inning.
Eduardo Rodriguez’s night could have gone worse after he gave up 10 hits and had at least one baserunner in each of the six innings he pitched. The Indians’ six runs were too much as the Boston offense couldn’t complete the comeback and dropped the first game of the series 6-5 at Progressive Field.
Boston amassed 12 hits, but couldn’t capitalize when it needed to most despite knotting the game in the ninth.
With the loss, the Red Sox dropped to 62-59, while the Indians climbed to 72-47.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Disappointing.
The Red Sox had their chances, but were unable to take advantage of them.
ON THE BUMP
— Cleveland quickly put two on the board in the first with a home run off the bat of Franmil Reyes.
Rodriguez struggled again in the third after quickly getting the first out of the inning. Back-to-back singles paved the way for Jose Ramirez to make it 5-1 when he took the southpaw deep to left field.
Despite having baserunners in each of the six innings he pitched and surrendering 10 hits, Rodriguez was able to allow just the five runs with as many strikeouts.
— Darwinzon Hernandez escaped the seventh after giving up a leadoff double to Ramirez who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt.
The left-hander returned for the eighth and struck out Tyler Naquin before issuing a night-ending walk to Francisco Lindor.
— Marcus Walden got the final two outs of the frame by getting Oscar Mercado to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
Walden, who hadn’t given up a hit in his last 8 2/3 innings, surrendered a solo shot to straightaway center field to walk the game off 6-5.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox chipped away at the Indians’ lead, eventually bringing the game within two by the fourth.
Andrew Benintendi (2-for-3) plated the first run with a double in the second.
J.D. Martinez (2-for-4) brought Boston within three with his 28th home run of the season in the fourth.
Brock Holt (1-for-4) drove Mitch Moreland (2-for-3) in to make it 5-3 before the fourth came to a close.
— The bats were briefly quieted until the seventh when Jackie Bradley Jr. (1-for-4) made it a one-run ballgame with one swing of the bat.
— Xander Bogaerts (2-for-5) provided the late-inning heroics and tied the game at five with two outs in the ninth when he doubled to deep left, driving in Mookie Betts.
— Martinez, Benintendi, Bogaerts and Moreland led the way for the Red Sox with two hits apiece. Mookie Betts was the lone Boston batter to go hitless, but did get on base with a ninth-inning walk and later scored the game-tying run.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Not too shabby.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox continue their series against the Indians on Tuesday night. Chris Sale is expected to take the hill with first pitch from Progressive Field set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
