The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning. Eduardo Nunez led off the game by grounding out back to the pitcher to start. Mookie Betts walked and Andrew Benintendi blasted a 2 run home run off the right field fence to give the Sox a quick lead. Hanley Ramirez grounded out back to the pitcher and Rafael Devers struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
Eduardo Rodriguez got the call to start the game and Fransisco Lindor popped up to a running Nunez to start. Austin Jackson singled up the middle as Jose Ramirez popped up to a running Xander Bogaerts. Edwin Encarnarcion popped up to third to end the inning.
Clevinger settled down in the top of the second inning as Bogaerts watched strike three go by to begin. Brock "Hitman" Holt, in for Mitch Moreland who was scratched with a stiff neck, grounded out to short. Christian Vazquez the birthday boy singled down the right field line but Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed badly to end the inning. Rodriguez got tagged in the bottom of the second as Jay Bruce singled to right but Carlos Santana flied out to center. Brandon Guyer walked and the .198 hitting Roberto Perez crushed a 400 foot bomb to center to put the Indians up 3-2. Giovanny Urshela grounded out to second and Lindor grounded out to short to end the inning but the Indians were up....yuck!
The Indians flashed the leather in the top of the third as Urshela made a great catch to rob Nunez of a hit. Betts accidentally pulled his bat back and still bunted down the first base line for an out. Benintendi got a lucky single up the middle and somehow Ramirez walked, but Devers was robbed on another great catch by Urshela to end the inning. Rodriguez blew away Jackson to start the bottom of the third inning and Devers got some revenge by making a great play to rob Ramirez of a hit. Encarnarcion struck out to end the inning.
Something appeared to be brewing in the top of the fourth when Bogaerts drew a leadoff walk but Holt whiffed badly. Bogaerts moved to second on the ground out by Vazquez as JBJ was hit in the leg. With 2 men on.....Nunez grounded out to first to end the inning. Rodriguez almost had a clean inning as he struck out Bruce to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. Santana grounded out to third but Guyer singled. E-Rod got revenge on Perez for taking him deep by striking out to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth inning as Betts worked a leadoff walk. Benintendi popped up but Betts was thrown out at second trying to steal....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and sure enough, Betts was ruled safe on the replay. That was a huge call as Ramirez stepped up to blast a 2 run bomb to give the Sox a 4-3 lead to chase Clevinger. Tyler Olson came in and got Devers to pop up to third. Bogaerts walked but Holt lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead.
Could Rodriguez slam the door in the bottom of the fifth? Urshela grounded out to second, Lindor grounded back to the mound and Jackson grounded out to second to end the inning. I'd say that was a yes.
Nick Goody got the call to pitch the top of the sixth inning and dominated. Vazquez struck out, JBJ grounded out to second and Nunez whiffed to end the inning. Rodriguez returned for the bottom of the sixth and got Ramirez to ground out, but walked Encarnarcion. Rodriguez got called for a balk to move Encarnarcion to second but recovered to strike out Bruce. Suddenly, John Farrell bounded out of the dug-out and Rodriguez threw the rosin bag down in disgust. Sure enough he was taken out of a game he badly wanted to stay in and he gave Farrell a death glare going back to the dug-out. He made one mistake to Perez but for the most part had kept Cleveland in check.
Joe Kelly came in and nearly killed home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt with a warm-up pitch. Wendelstedt then started calling balls and strikes backwards so you knew he wasn't right. Santana flied out to end the inning but Wendelstedt had to be wheeled out on a gurney.
Old pal Andrew Miller was brought in as second base umpire Alan Porter had to replace Hunter behind the plate causing a delay. During the delay Miller contracted Tarellian Death Syndrome and walked Mookie Betts before he too was wheeled out on a gurney. Sox fans might remember the last time Miller had to leave a game. Dan Otero came in to pitch for Cleveland as Betts was erased on the force by Benintendi only for Ramirez to bang into a double play to end the inning.
Kelly cruised in the bottom of the seventh inning and got Guyer to fly out to right to start. Perez looked at strike three and Urshela lined out to right to end the inning.
Otero returned for the top of the eighth inning and Dervers whiffed to start. Bogaerts grounded out and Holt whiffed to end the inning. The Sox had literally no hits since Ramirez chased Clevinger in the 5th inning. It was learned that Carlos Santana had to be hauled off in an ambulance so Bradley Zimmer came in to play for him. We got bodies left and right. Sox manager John Farrell decided to give Addison Reed the night off but made the inexcusable decision to bring in Matt Barnes to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Its been proven that Barnes can't pitch on the road and he showed why as he walked Lindor on 5 pitches that weren't even close. After another 3 pitches that weren't close, Jackson singled. Sox manager John Farrell was one batter too late but he pulled the incompetent Barnes.
Farrell made another inexcusable blunder by bringing in Heath Hembree? Why was this just as bad as Barnes? Hembree literally is the worst pitcher in Major League Baseball when it comes to inherited runners. Nearly 50% of the men he inherits score on him. So Farrell not only brought in a guy who sucks on the road to start the inning, he put the worst guy in the majors in the game with 2 men on. Somehow Hembree struck out Ramirez but Encarnarcion hit a little roller into left to score Lindor. Benintendi decided to heave the ball 50 feet over the head of Vazquez so both runners advanced. That was it for Hembree as Robby Scott was summoned to stop the bleeding. Scott did his job by striking out Bruce and Zimmer to end the inning with the game still tied. Why couldn't Farrell have started the inning with Hembree then gone to Scott if he got in trouble?
The Sox tried to fight back against Cody Allen in the top of the ninth when Allen's nemesis Vazquez singled for the Sox first hit since the fifth inning. He was stranded as JBJ lined out to right as Chris Young suddenly bolted out of the dug-out to pinch run for Vazquez. Nunez flied out to right and Betts popped up to end the inning. The Sox had just 1 hit off the Indians bullpen in the final 4 2/3 innings, that's PATHETIC. Mercifully the game came to an end in the bottom of the ninth. Here's another brilliant idea by Farrell, bringing in Brandon Workman to pitch the bottom of the ninth. He wants to give Reed a day off even though its been proven that he's a rubber arm but he goes to the guy COMING OFF TOMMY JOHN SURGERY to pitch another game. Sandy Leon took over behind the plate and sure enough, Guyer doubled to start the inning. Perez dropped down a routine sac bunt....AND HOLT THREW IT AWAY! Guyer scored the winning run and the Indians won. The lack of offense and bad managerial decisions finally cost Farrell and it was a 5-4 Indians walkoff win.
Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. Yes, Heath Hembree gave up the game tying hit and Workman/Holt pissed themselves in the 9th but Barnes putting two runners on in the 8th inning led the way for the defeat. Had he done his job, Hembree and Holt wouldn't have mattered.
The Good:
Mookie Betts walked 3 times in 5 plate appearances and scored 2 runs.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.
Xander Bogaerts walked twice in 4 plate appearances.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4.
Eduardo Rodriguez made one mistake to Perez but not much else has he pitched 5 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.
Joe Kelly pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Robby Scott got two huge outs to keep the game tied.
The Bad:
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 5.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Brock Holt was the runner up for Jackass by going 0 for 4 and making the game ending throwing error.
Heath Hembree gave up the game tying hit.
Brandon Workman took the loss in the bottom of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but took an HBP.
Honorable Mention:
Chris Young pinch ran for Vazquez in the 9th.
Sandy Leon caught the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Another horrible loss that's strictly on the manager. Its been proven Barnes sucks on the road so why would you bring him in with a one run lead with the game on the line? Then, how do you not bring in your best strikeout pitcher in Kimbrel afterwards to stop the bleeding? The Sox look like they have absolutely no chance to beat Cleveland not only in the post-season (if there is one) but this series as well. It will take a miracle for the Sox not to get swept the next 3 days. Also, Clevinger was gone in the top of the 5th meaning the Indians bullpen pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings. The loss drops the Sox to 71-53, 4.5 games ahead of the idle Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox lose to Carlos Carrassco with Doug Fister (2-6, 5.56 ERA) taking the almost guaranteed loss at 7:10 PM at Jacobs Field.
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