The Boston Red Sox rallied back in the middle innings, but ultimately the Cleveland Indians scored five runs in the ninth to pull away with a 11-5 win at Fenway Park on Sunday.
Boston was not able to complete the sweep after winning the first two games of the series. The Red Sox fell to 79-60 on the campaign while the Indians improved to 67-67.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox offense came alive during the fifth and sixth innings, but it proved not to be enough. And it may have played out differently if Boston was able to limit its struggles with runners in scoring position during the early frames. The Red Sox had a runner on second with one out in the first inning; runners on second and third with nobody out in the second inning; and runners on second and third with one out in the fourth inning. They did not score in any of those scenarios and finished the game 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Leadoff man Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position while cleanup hitter Alex Verdugo was an identical 0-for-2.
And they weren't the only ones.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- J.D. Martinez blasted a two-run home run in the sixth inning to cut Boston's deficit to 6-5. The Red Sox designated hitter recorded a run-scoring double in Boston's three-run fifth inning, as well. Martinez finished 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored.
-- Hunter Renfroe was impactful in the No. 2 spot in the order as he finished with three hits of his own. Renfroe also scored a pair of runs as he was on second during the two-run shot by Martinez.
-- Bobby Dalbec continued to swing a hot bat Sunday as he recorded a pair of hits in four at bats. Dalbec now has 12 hits in his last 10 games.
WAGER WATCH
The Red Sox (-1.5) were a slight favorite entering Sunday's game despite the fact Kutter Crawford was making his big league debut. Boston, who ballooned to a five-to-one money line bet entering the fifth inning as the Indians held a 6-0 lead, did not cover the spread. The Red Sox did, however, make it interesting as that +500 money line bet was slashed to +190 after the two-run home run by Martinez, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to Boston for a three-game series starting Monday. First pitch from the Labor Day contest is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN.
