The Red Sox are out to salvage a series split against the Indians as they send Jon Lester to the mound against Corey Kluber. We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Progressive Field.
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, Mid 8th -- Mike Aviles picks up is third hit in three at bats (and fourth trip to the basepaths in four plate appearances) with a one-out single, but he's erased in the ensuing double play as Cody Allen gets a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, End 7th -- Junichi Tazawa replaces Jon Lester after a terrific start and manages to escape a jam with runners at second and third and two outs to keep the Indians stuck at just the one run.
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, Mid 7th -- An infield single from Pedro Ciriaco is all the Sox get from their reformed top-of-the-order, as Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia, and Adrian Gonzalez have all been pulled for Scott Podsednik, Pedro Ciriaco, and Nick Punto respectively in the blowout.
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, End 6th -- Casey Kotchman can at least put the bat on the ball, but Carlos Santana and Shelley Duncan can't keep Lester from racking up his 11th and 12th strikeouts of the afternoon.
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, Mid 6th -- After scoring eight in the fifth, the Sox go for zero in the sixth, wasting a leadoff double from Mike Aviles (though the waste isn't too hard to stomach all things considered).
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, End 5th -- The delay clearly does not phase Jon Lester, as he heads back to the mound and strikes out the side in order on 12 ptiches. He's into double digit strikeouts on the night now.
Red Sox 14, Indians 1, Mid 5th -- The Sox send 13 men to the plate in the fifth, turning a big lead into an absolute blowout. The first five batters Josh Tomlin faces in the inning reach on three singles and two walks, including an infield single from Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Danny Valencia manages just a sacrifice fly, and Kelly Shoppach strikes out, but then the doubles start. Jacoby Ellsbury goes to the wall in center field, and Carl Crawford finds the gap in right, chasing Tomlin from the game in favor of Frank Hermann. Hermann doesn't do much better, however, as Dustin Pedroia walks and Adrian Gonzalez launches a rocket to right for a two-run double. Jarrod Saltalamacchia finally ends the inning with a fly ball to center, but only after the Sox score an impressive eight runs.
Red Sox 6, Indians 1, End 4th -- Jon Lester picks up his 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, earning his seventh strikeout of the night in the first at bat of the inning against Brent Lillibridge.
Red Sox 6, Indians 1, Mid 4th -- The Sox score again and chase Corey Kluber from the game after Mike Aviles gets hit, steals second, and scores on a Kelly Shoppach single.
Red Sox 5, Indians 1, End 3rd -- Jon Lester gives up a flared single to center, costing him a 1-2-3 inning, but strikes out the other three batters he faces, leaving him with six on the afternoon.
Red Sox 5, Indians 1, Mid 3rd -- Kluber needs just seven pitches to get through the middle of the Red Sox' order in the third--a dramatic departure from his performance in the first two innings.
Red Sox 5, Indians 1, End 2nd -- Lester bounces back nicely in the second. Though he gives up a two-out walk to Ezequiel Carrera, Lester bookends the inning with strikeouts of both Lou Marson and Jason Donald.
Red Sox 5, Indians 1, Mid 2nd -- After an 0-for-8 streak to start the series against the Indians, Carl Crawford is swinging a hot bat again. Though the Sox seem ready to waste a leadoff single from Mike Aviles, Jacoby Ellsbury manages to keep the inning alive with a two-out blooper to left, bringing Crawford to the plate. The first pitch Carl sees is a hanging curveball, and he puts a good swing on it, hitting a rocket to right that smashes into the base of the wall for a two-RBI double.
Red Sox 3, Indians 1, End 1st -- Jon Lester threatens to give the lead away in the bottom of the first, but manages to limit the damage and keep the Sox ahead. A pair of leadoff line drives put runners at the corners for the Indians with no outs on the board. Lester managed to fight back by striking out Shin-Soo Choo on a cutter away, but couldn't prevent Carlos Santana from putting the ball in the air, deep enough for a sacrifice fly, putting the Indians on the board before Lester could get out of the inning.
Red Sox 3, Indians 0, Mid 1st -- The Sox are off to a very good start, giving Jon Lester three runs to work with right out of the gate. After a ground ball out from Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford slapped a ground ball past the bag at first, heading into second before the Indians could get it back to the infield. Dustin Pedroia would knock him in with a line drive down the right field line, bringing Adrian Gonzalez to the plate. Kluber managed to make Gonzalez swing underneath the ball, but his high fly ball had a remarkable charge behind it--just enough, as it happened, to drop into the first row past the right field wall for a two-run shot.