Boston’s bats snap out of it
Bogaerts homers twice as Red Sox break three-game losing streak
Boston — Xander Bogaerts hit two solo homers, Andrew Benintendi had a three-run double to cap a big fourth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 104 Wednesday night to halt their three-game losing streak.
Mitch Moreland added a two-run homer for the Red Sox, who lost the previous two nights in a matchup of AL division leaders.
East-leading Boston, which owns the majors' best
record, is the only MLB team without a four-game losing streak this season.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a pair of two-run homers in his first game off the disabled list for Central-leading Cleveland. The Indians are 17-5 on the road since July 1.
Matt Barnes (5-3) pitched a hitless inning of relief and was credited with the victory after starter Brian Johnson was pulled with the Red Sox leading and one out in the fifth. Johnson gave up three runs.
Carlos Carrasco (15-7) was tagged for six runs, five earned, in 3.2 innings.
Bogaerts tied it 2-all in the fourth by hitting his first shot completely out of Fenway Park over the Green Monster. The Red Sox took the lead with three singles on Carrasco's next three pitches; Ian Kinsler, Brock Holt, and Blake Swihart's RBI hit.
Following a walk to Mookie Betts, Benintendi sliced his liner down the left-field line, making it 6-2.
Moreland's homer made it 8-4. Bogaerts hit his second one in the seventh.
Sidelined since Aug. 12 with a right wrist contusion, Encarnacion hit the third pitch he saw into the last row of Monster seats in the first. His second was a drive off a billboard above the Monster.
Carrasco had been on a roll, going 7-1 with a 1.73 ERA since coming off the disabled list July 6, but he fell to 1-3 with a 7.47 ERA in his career against Boston.
Adding up
Boston's J.D. Martinez raised his major league-leading RBI total to 108 with two RBI singles.
Hot starts
The Indians hit their club-record 28th first-inning homer this season, breaking the mark of 27 set last year.
Staying cool
Red Sox manager Alex Cora joked before the game about calls he received regarding the team's losing streak.
"I got a few phone calls from people around the league like, 'Wow, three-game losing streak,'" he said. "(Houston manager) A.J. Hinch was one of them. He was laughing about it. We talked about it a little bit. The way I see it is if this is the second three-game losing streak for us, we're in a good place."
Trainer's room
Indians: Placed OF Rajai Davis on the 10-day disabled list with a non-life-threatening medical condition. He's expected to have outpatient surgery Monday and return when rosters are expended on Sept. 1 . ... Manager Terry Francona said Leonys Martin will sit out the rest of the season. The outfielder had a life-threatening bacterial infection that entered his bloodstream and created toxins that damaged his internal organs, compromising their function.
Red Sox: Cora said C Christian Vazquez (DL, fractured right pinkie) might catch LHP Eduardo Rodriguez's next rehab start on Monday at Double-A Portland.
Up next
Indians: RHP Adam Plutko (4-3, 4.62) is slated to make his first career start against the Red Sox in the series finale Thursday afternoon.
Red Sox: LHP David Price (13-6, 3.69) looks to continue his recent success. He's 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA since the All-Star break.
Miami — The New York Yankees' injury wave has reached the ninth inning.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with tendinitis in his left knee. He joined right fielder Aaron Judge, shortstop Didi Gregorius and catcher Gary Sanchez on the DL for the Yankees, who have baseball's second-best record despite their misfortune.
Manager Aaron Boone said he expected Chapman back for the final stretch for the season. Chapman said he hoped he would be ready to pitch again as soon as he's eligible.
"That's what you hope for — that it's only 10 days," the Cuban left-hander said through a translator. "We've got to rest and see how the knee reacts."
Chapman said his knee discomfort dates back to May, but this is his first stint on the DL this year. The diagnosis came after he underwent an MRI, and he'll fly to New York for further examination Friday.
"I'm confident he's going to play a major factor for us down the stretch and hopefully in the postseason," Boone said. "I do think this is something we'll be able to manage, hopefully."
Chapman entered Tuesday's game at Miami in the 12th inning to try for his 32nd save. He walked Isaac Galloway leading off, threw one pitch to the next batter and then departed.
"The pain is not different," Chapman said. "It's just that this time around it was more intense. I felt it was a good decision to stop pitching because the intensity was higher."
Tommy Kahnle came on to earn his first save since 2016.
In Chapman's absence, closer duties will be shared by left-hander Zach Britton and right-handers Dellin Betances and David Robertson, Boone said.
"Depending on who we're playing, we'll kind of mix and match, I would assume, with those three guys," Boone said.