Perez’s bunt provides walk-off win
CLEVELAND — Brandon Guyer scored when first baseman Brock Holt threw away Roberto Perez’s bunt in the ninth inning, lifting the Cleveland Indians over the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Monday night in a matchup of first-place teams.
After Guyer’s leadoff double against Brandon Workman (0-1), Holt fielded Perez’s bunt and tried to throw out Guyer at third. Guyer slid into the bag as the throw skipped past third baseman Rafael Devers, then got to his feet and raced to home plate. Teammates ran onto the field and doused Perez with water and white powder.
Perez also had a threerun homer in the second inning.
Cody Allen (1-6) allowed Christian Vazquez’s leadoff single in the ninth, but retired the next three hitters. The inning ended when shortstop Francisco Lindor ran down Mookie Betts’ popup in center field with his back to home plate.
Cleveland relief ace Andrew Miller left in the seventh inning after aggravating the patellar tendinitis in his right knee. Miller recently returned after more than two weeks on the disabled list with the knee injury.
Indians first baseman Carlos Santana also left the game with an injury, exiting in the eighth inning with lower back tightness.
Boston led 4-3 behind two-run homers by Hanley Ramirez and Andrew Benintendi, before Edwin Encarnacion tied the game in the eighth with an RBI single that scored Lindor.
Miller threw seven pitches in the seventh inning before leaving the game. It was his second appearance since spending two weeks on the DL with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. Cleveland said he left Monday with the same injury.
Miller began the seventh by walking Betts on six pitches — including a number of fastballs that failed to reach 90 mph — and then threw one pitch to Benintendi before walking off the mound. Indians manager Terry Francona and a team trainer had a brief conversation with Miller, who then left the field.
Eduardo Rodriguez allowed three runs in 5 innings for Boston. Mike Clevinger allowed both homers and gave up four runs in 4 Cleveland.
Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt left the game after being struck on the mask by a warmup pitch in the sixth inning from Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly.
Jay Bruce was 1 for 4 in his first home game since being acquired from the New York Mets on Aug. 9; the Indians began an 11-game road trip the day after the trade. Bruce hit .375 with three homers and 12 RBI as Cleveland went 8-3.
“You kind of forget this is his first game here because he’s been with us so long,” Francona said. “That was a long road trip.” innings for