Tribe rely on extra effort
Top Sox in 11 innings
CLEVELAND — The AL East title already in their pockets before flying here, the Red Sox ar- rived with two goals in mind:
• Clinch the best record in the major leagues to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
• Top their 106-yearold franchise record of 105 wins.
The first could happen last night with an Astros loss or a Red Sox win. The second was possible with a Red Sox win.
Neither happened. The Red Sox lost, 5-4, in 11 innings to the Indians and the Astros beat the Angels, 10-5.
There’s a pretty good chance the Red Sox will break their franchise highwater mark by winning once over their last seven games, but the Indians spoiled any chance to celebrate when Red Sox reliever Drew Pomeranz allowed a game-winning single to Michael Brantley.
Down 4-2 in the eighth, the Red Sox mounted a two-run rally against two of Cleveland’s best relievers, Andrew Miller and Brad Hand, with Andrew Benintendi knocking in two runs with a single to tie the game at 4-4.
Rick Porcello made his first start in a week, part of the team’s plan to rest its starters in advance of the playoffs.
It was also his first start this season throwing to catcher Blake Swihart.
The layoff did not appear to create any rust on Porcello, but he did not get the results he desired.
After allowing only a hit in the first inning, he allowed four in the second when the Indians scored twice to take the 2-0 lead. The leadoff batter, Josh Donaldson, singled to center and then advanced to third when Porcello-killer Melky Cabrera singled. After going 1-for-2 last night, Cabrera’s career batting average is .545 (18-for-33) against Porcello.
Yan Gomes doubled in Donaldson for the first run. After Jason Kipnis lined out hard to first base, Francisco Lindor singled in Cabrera. Lindor’s ball went to right field and Gomes also decided to try to score. J.D. Martinez’ throw was a beauty, however, and Gomes was out at home.
Down 2-0, the Red Sox halved the lead in the top of the third when Rafael Devers hit his second home run in as many nights to right field, a solo shot off of Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger. Devers now has 19 home runs on the season.
With two outs, Clevinger issued back-to-back walks to Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland. The Cleveland starter struck out Brock Holt to keep the score at 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, Porcello again allowed a leadoff hit, a single by Michael Brantley. He then walked Jose Ramirez before getting Edwin Encarnacion to ground into a double play. That brought up Donaldson again, and he singled to left to bring home Ramirez for the third Indians run.
Swihart led off the fourth, and he turned on a Clevinger pitch for his second home run of the season, a laser that he parked just over the right field fence.
Porcello allowed a fourth and final run on his watch in the fourth, but this one could not be pinned on him. The second batter of the frame, Gomes, hit a grounder right at Bogaerts and the shortstop simply muffed it. Porcello walked Kipnis and Lindor singled in Gomes for his second RBI single of the evening.
Porcello was at 69 pitches after the fourth inning, and he had one more inning left in him, a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
On the evening, he allowed eight hits and four runs, three of them earned, with two walks and just one strikeout, a season low. He finished with 84 pitches.
Robby Scott pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning, before giving way just one hitter into the seventh, when Brian Johnson came in and pitched three scoreless innings.