Christian Arroyo returned from the COVID-19 list with a two-run homerun that proved to be the game winner on Friday night, as the Boston Red Sox opened a nine game road swing with a 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It is the fifth straight win for Boston.
Boston (40-31) never trailed, taking a 1-0 lead when Arroyo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded by Cleveland starting pitcher Cal Quantrill with the bases loaded in the second inning. Myles Straw drove in Andres Gimenez with a two out RBI single for the Guardians off Nick Pivetta in the bottom of the second to even the score 1-1. Rafael Devers regained the advantage for the Sox leading off the top of the third with his 17th homerun of the season, a solo shot to right center field. Gimenez once again helped the hosts tie it as he also went to right center for a solo homer in the fourth inning. Arroyo hit the game winning homerun, his fourth of the season, after Rob Refsnyder walked to start the seventh. Alex Verdugo also doubled in JD Martinez in the inning and it was 5-2 Boston. Refsnyder added an RBI double in the ninth, before Cleveland (36-30) threatened in their last at bat against Tanner Houck. Franmil Reyes and Gimenez both singled to start it off, and then with one out Straw was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Steven Kwan singled to score Reyes, and with the bases still loaded Houck struckout Amed Rosario and got Jose Ramirez to groundout to second base to allow the Red Sox to hold on for the win.
Pivetta (8-5) allowed two runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings to get the win on the mound. John Schreiber picked up his 12th hold of the season. Pivetta has now won eight of his last 10 starts after starting 0-4. Arroyo had three hits, while Devers, Verdugo, and Trevor Story had two hits a piece. Boston now has a record of 17-4 in the month of June, and has now won 30 of their last 42 games. Gimenez had three hits for Cleveland, and Kwan, Rosario, and Reyes had two a piece. Quantrill got a no decision allowing two runs on five hits in 5.0 innings, with Bryan Shaw (3-1) taking the loss in relief. The middle game of the series is Saturday at 6:10 p.m. as the Red Sox send RHP Josh Winckowski (2-1, 3.68 ERA) to the hill, to be opposed by RHP Shane Bieber (3-3, 3.00) for the Guardians.
