*Photo from Masslive*
Rafael Devers had a 6 hit game, Chris Sale reached 2,000 career strikeouts, and the Boston Red Sox held off a big Indians comeback to win 7-6 in a 10 inning thriller. A game that looked like an easy Red Sox win in the 6th inning became a tight game fast, in part due to a costly error by Devers. Jackie Bradley Jr helped end thoughts of a wild Indians win with a solo homer to lead off the 10th inning against Nick Wittgren. Manager Alex Cora said that ''It actually did feel like a playoff game."
Boston jumped ahead in the first inning on a leadoff triple by Mookie Betts, and then Rafael Devers doubled him in to make it 1-0 early. In the second, Betts hit a bloop single to left to plate Marco Hernandez and make it 2-0. Cleveland got one back in the 4th on a Carlos Santana solo bomb to center field. Boston resumed the scoring in the 5th on a Mitch Moreland RBI single and another RBI single by Hernandez. In the 6th, Devers doubled off the left field wall to score Bradley Jr and Betts to make it 6-1. Then, Cleveland started to come back. In the bottom half, Franmil Reyes hit a two run homer just over the right field fence to make it 6-3. After a costly error by Devers, Francisco Lindor doubled two runs across in the 7th to make it 6-5. In the 9th, Lindor tied it on another RBI double. Then, Bradley Jr hammered a 2-0 pitch from Wittgren over the right field fence in the 10th to make it 7-6 Boston.
Lindor made a mistake in the bottom of the 9th that put the game in extra innings. After the game tying double, Lindor took off for third base. Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon threw a strike down to third, and Lindor was called safe, putting the winning run on third with one out. Boston challenged, and Lindor was called out upon review. Lindor later said that ''I messed up, It's a rookie mistake." Manager Terry Francona didn't have a problem with Lindor's aggressiveness, saying that ''It's bang-bang and if he makes it, we probably win, and I don't want to take our aggressiveness away because every once in a while you are going to be out.''
Sale struck out 12 batters over 6 2/3 innings pitched, and his strikeout of Oscar Mercado in the 3rd inning made him the fastest pitcher to 2,000 strikeouts in history. That wasn't enough to get him the win. Brandon Workman got the win after blowing the save in the 9th, striking out one hitter on two hits and one run. Andrew Cashner, recently demoted to the bullpen, worked the 10th for his first career save. Nathan Eovaldi was supposed to move back to the rotation to start Wednesday's series finale, but that won't happen because Cora needed him to finish the 8th inning. He did, in 6 pitches. Eovaldi seems to be headed back to the rotation however, as Cashner has been moved to the bullpen.
Instead of Eovaldi, Brian Johnson will get the start for the Red Sox for Wednesday's series finale. Johnson threw 2 2/3 innings in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels. The Indians will send Shane Bieber to the mound, who has thrown two complete games in his last 4 starts. He is 6-1 in his last 8 starts.
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