Martinez hits 3-run homer in 10th, Red Sox beat Indians
CLEVELAND — J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning off Nick Wittgren and the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 5-3 on Saturday night.
Martinez, who broke out of an 0-for-20 slump with three hits, drove a 2-1 pitch into the seats in right field for his 24th home run of the season. Martinez also singled in the first and sixth.
Jarren Duran began the 10th inning as the runner on second base and moved to third on Kyle Schwarber’s single to left off Wittgren (2-7).
Boston’s Adam Ottavino came on in the 10th with the bases loaded and one out. He struck out Austin Hedges before Oscar Mercado’s single cut the lead to two runs. Ottavino retired Andres Gimenez on a groundout for his 10th save and second of the series.
Martin Perez started the 10th with Jose Ramirez at second. Perez walked Franmil Reyes and hit Bradley Zimmer with the first pitch. Perez struck out Bobby Bradley.
Garrett Whitlock (6-2) pitched around a one-out single in the ninth.
Boston, which holds the AL’s second wild-card spot, used Jonathan Arauz’s three-run homer in the eighth inning to beat the Indians 4-3 on Friday.
Nathan Eovaldi allowed two runs and struck out six, throwing 97 pitches in 5 1⁄3 innings. The right-hander gave up Franmil Reyes’ solo homer in the second.
Cal Quantrill gave up two runs, one earned, in seven innings. Boston had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh, but Arauz popped out and Duran flied out. Quantrill, who allowed Schwarber’s solo homer in the first, struck out six.
Schwarber homered to center with one out in the first, his 27th of the season. Martinez singled and scored when left fielder Daniel Johnson booted Xanxder Bogaerts’ double into the corner.
Reyes led off the second with a home run into the left field bleachers, his 24th.
Bradley tied the game with an RBI double. Bradley was activated from the 10-day injured list after struggling reliever James Karinchak was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. Bradley injured his knee Aug. 6.
Plate umpire Ron Kulpa remained in the game after being hit in the mask by Christian Vazquez’s foul tip in the seventh. Kulpa was checked by an Indians trainer and other members of the umpiring crew.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora is keeping up on the conditions of infielder Kike Hernandez, who has tested positive for COVID-19, and second baseman Christian Arroyo, who had close contact with Hernandez.
“I’m always checking on them,” Cora said before the game. “We’ll keep hoping that everything goes well in the upcoming days.”