Xander Bogaerts hit a game winning three-run homerun in the sixth inning Thursday night, as the Boston Red Sox were able to salvage a four game series split with a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park.
Cleveland struck first as Jose Ramirez hooked a solo homerun around the pesky pole in right field off Kutter Crawford in the top of the fourth for a 1-0 lead. In the decisive bottom of the sixth inning, Jeter Downs led off with a single and then with one out Alex Verdugo also singled to put two runners on. Bogaerts then took an 0-2 pitch from Triston McKenzie into the bleachers in center for a 3-1 Sox advantage. Bobby Dalbec added an RBI single in the seventh. Cleveland (50-48) got a run on a doubleplay ball hit by Steven Kwan in the ninth, but was too little too late as Garrett Whitlock picked up his third save of the season.
Crawford got a no-decision allowing one run on three hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Jake Diekman (5-1) got the win pitching hitless and scoreless baseball over 1.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Verdugo had two hits on the night, as Boston got back to the .500 mark (50-50). McKenzie (7-7) took the loss for Cleveland giving up four runs on six hits in 7.0 innings, and Josh Naylor had two hits. The Red Sox will enter Friday 3.5 games behind in the race for the third and final American League wildcard playoff spot, and will open up a three game interleague series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m. Brayan Bello (0-2, 10.50 ERA) will toe the rubber for Boston in the opener, while Milwaukee counters with Brandon Woodruff (8-3, 3.73).
