Red Sox Wrap: James Paxton Impressive In Win Over Guardians

The Boston Red Sox broke their three-game losing streak and defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 5-4, at Progressive Field on Tuesday night.

The Red Sox climbed back above .500 and improved to 31-30, while the Guardians dropped to 27-33.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston was was doomed for a fourth straight loss, but came through when down to its final six outs.

But it all started with an impressive start on the mound to set the foundation for the night.

James Paxton, who’s undergone an overall rocky start with the Red Sox, was put to the test once again after allowing two runs to cross in the first inning against the Guardians — a test that the 34-year-old passed. Paxton settled in quickly, delivering five scoreless innings after the first to keep Cleveland’s offense at-bay and give Boston a chance to muster up enough run production to break out and hop back into the win column.

Kiké Hernández’s RBI single in the sixth inning snapped an eight-inning scoreless streak from the offense. Hernández also drove in the game-tying run by drawing a walk with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, giving the Red Sox new life.

That sparked a four-run rally from the Red Sox to take a two-run lead, which kept Boston ahead until the end and survived a threatening comeback bid from Cleveland.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Paxton remained poised and came through with his most impressive performance in a Red Sox uniform. The left-hander pitched seven strong innings, holding the Guardians to two earned runs off six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. It was the first time Paxton has tossed seven innings in a big league contest since Sept. 3 of 2019, back when he pitched for the New York Yankees.

— Hernández was responsible for leading the charge in getting back in the ballgame, finishing the night 1-for-4 with two pivotal RBIs and a walk.

— Masataka Yoshida went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, serving as the only hitter in Boston’s lineup to record a multi-hit performance.

WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the odds of Yoshida finishing the game with three-plus hits at +950. Boston’s rookie outfielder cleared those odds in his first three at-bats, responsible for three of four hits from the lineup after five innings. A $100 wager placed on Yoshida would’ve resulted in a $1,050 total payout.

UP NEXT ON NESN
The Red Sox and Guardians continue their three-game set on Wednesday night. First pitch from Progressive Field is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, plus a full hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.