Two Cys, one gasp: Tribe emerges in eventful clash
BOSTON — Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello had the wind knocked out of him after taking a hard liner to the stomach. Two pitches later, Cleveland’s Greg Allen knocked the energy out of Fenway Park.
Allen hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning right after Porcello was struck, Corey Kluber tied for the major league lead with his 16th win, and the Indians beat Boston 5-4 Monday.
“That was intense,” Allen said. “You really weren’t sure (if he was staying in), especially after a hit like that.”
In a meeting of American League division leaders, and a matchup of the past two Cy Young Award winners, it was 3-all into the seventh.
Porcello (15-6) retired the leadoff batter and walked the next hitter. Yan Gomes followed with a liner that hit Porcello near the stomach — Porcello retrieved the ball near the mound, threw to second for a forceout and then slid to his knees.
Porcello was checked on the mound, took two practice tosses and stayed in the game. Allen then sent a drive into the Indians’ bullpen for his second home run of the season.
Porcello said after he caught his breath that he was fine. He was more bothered by what he threw after that.
“The pitch to Allen — I’m not trying to take anything away from him — but I think even I could have hit that one pretty hard,” he said.
Kluber (16-6) pitched into the seventh and matched Washington’s Max Scherzer and the Yankees’ Luis Severino for the most victories in the majors.
Michael Brantley and Melky Cabrera also homered to help the AL Central-leading Indians improve to 14-4 in August.
Xander Bogaerts had an early two-run single and an RBI single in the ninth for Boston.
The Red Sox had the first two runners on against closer Cody Allen in the ninth and scored a run on Bogaerts’ dribbler with two outs before Ian Kinsler flied out with two runners on base.