Bostons David Price winds up to throw a pitch as a Cleveland Indians runner takes off for second base during MLB action at Fenway Park in Boston on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Photo by Jeff Hoak from Eastern Maine Sports (click to enlarge)
On a long night at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians played game two of their three game series on a rainy Tuesday night. The game started on time, but heavy rain put the game in a delay for an hour and nine minutes in the bottom of the second inning. In the end Boston had a blown save and lost a ninth inning lead of 5-2, also losing out on a win for David Price and fell to Cleveland 7-5.
The game was a pitchers duel until finally Boston broke through against Cleveland rookie Zach Plesac in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rafael Devers hit a one out triple that ended the night for Plesac, who was making his major league debut. A.J. Cole came in for relief and allowed an RBI single to Xander Bogaerts, that was charged to the starting pitcher. JD Martinez then doubled off the left field wall to put runners on second and third. Cole struck out Michael Chavis for the second out. Brock Holt though would hit a hard ground ball that deflected off the glove of Cleveland second baseman Mike Freeman and into short right field for an error, allowing Bogaerts and Martinez to score to increase the lead to 3-0. Price had another good outing for the Sox on the hill and left after six innings. Boston reliever Brandon Workman allowed a runner to reach as far as third base after a one out walk in the seventh, but with two outs was saved when Chavis made a diving play at second base and threw out the Indians Jake Bauers at first base to preserve the three run lead.
Cleveland rallied off another Boston reliever in the top of the eighth. Greg Allen led off with a walk against Marcus Walden. Freeman followed with a single. Francisco Lindor then cut the deficit to 3-2 with a gap shot double that rolled to the right center field fence. Walden got Oscar Mercado to pop up for the first out. Alex Cora then made another move to the bullpen and brought Matt Barnes into the game. Barnes walked Carlos Santana to put two runners on once again. Jordan Luplow struck out swinging. The Sox reliever kept Boston in the lead when Jose Ramirez grounded out to end the rally. Boston tacked onto the lead when Bogaerts led off with a double, and Chavis chased him in with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning. Steve Pearce would double in Chavis who scored all the way from first to make it 5-2. Roberto Perez led off the ninth inning with a solo homer to center field off Ryan Brasier. Bauers followed with a walk, and then Greg Allen hit a long two run homerun to right field to tie the score 5-5 to blow the save chance for Brasier who was pulled. It was Allens first homer of the season. Travis Lakins who was recently promoted from Double A Portland was the next man up out of the bullpen. He hit the first man he faced in Freeman, then walked Lindor. Mercado bunted, but first baseman Pearce threw to Devers at third to get Freeman on a force out. Santana walked to load the bases. Luplow then stunned the home crowd when he would cap a five run inning with a two run double to right field to make it 7-5 Indians. In the bottom of ninth against Cleveland closer Brad Hand, Mookie Betts walked and Devers singled both with one out. Hand though struck out Bogaerts and Martinez to end it.
Devers, Bogaerts and Martinez led the offense for the Sox with two hits a piece. Price ended up with a no decision allowing no runs, three hits, with one walk, along with six strikeouts in the 6.0 inning start. Workman and Barnes worked 1.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief, while Walden, Brasier, and Lakins struggled. Lakins (0-1) was tagged for the loss. Ramirez had two hits for the Indians. Allen, Lindor, and Luplow had two RBI each. Plesac only allowed one run on four hits in 5.1 innings. Nick Wittgren (2-0) picked up the win in relief, while Hand got his 14th save. Cleveland trailed all night until the disastrous ninth inning for Boston, and won their first game this season when trailing after the 6th, 7th, or 8th inning.
Boston is now 29-26. They will try to win the series in the rubber game at 6:10 on Wednesday evening. The Sox send Ryan Weber to the mound, while the Indians counter with Shane Bieber.
The rain tarp is shown on the infield shortly before the start of the Red Sox-Indians game at Fenway Park in Boston on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Photo by Jeff Hoak from Eastern Maine Sports (click to enlarge)
