The Cleveland Guardians are getting comfortable with life on the road, which resumes Wednesday when they face the Boston Red Sox in the third game of a four-game series.
After winning the series opener 6-0 on Monday, Cleveland improved its road record to 9-2 this season by beating Boston 10-7 in 11 innings Tuesday.
“It’s a testament to these guys,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “That first road trip was long. Coming out of spring training, being on the road for 10 games and then to come into a tough place to win. It’s really hard to win here in Fenway.”
Cleveland surrendered a 5-1 lead Tuesday, but forced extra innings by scoring a run off Boston closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth. The Guardians have won three in a row overall, and two of the victories came in extra innings.
“This group of guys doesn’t quit,” Vogt said. “They keep fighting. They believe in each other, they root for each other. We got something special brewing right now and the guys feel it.”
Injuries continue to pile up for the Red Sox. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill wasn’t in the lineup Tuesday, one day after he collided with third baseman Rafael Devers and required eight stitches to close a cut in his forehead.
Devers’ two-run double gave Boston a 6-5 lead after six innings Tuesday, but he left the game after the seventh inning with discomfort in his left knee.
“With Raffy we’re discussing if we’re going to take imaging just to make sure everything is OK,” Boston manager Alex Cora said following Tuesday’s loss. “It came out of nowhere. There was a play he made in the seventh. He was kind of playing in the mini-shift and he kind of felt it there. We’ll know more (Wednesday).”
In addition, Boston starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock left the game after four innings with oblique tightness. Whitlock allowed two runs on three hits, struck out one and walked one.
“They just felt like a precautionary move was to pull me out,” Whitlock said. “I just felt a little something in the third inning, but that was it.”
The Guardians are expected to start right-hander Ben Lively on Wednesday. Lively began the season on the 15-day injured list with a viral illness. He made two starts for Triple-A Columbus, but he hasn’t not pitched in the majors this season.
Cleveland signed Lively last December. He spent the 2023 season with Cincinnati after a three-year stretch with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization. He’s 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two career appearances (12 1/3 innings) against Boston.
Right-hander Tanner Houck (2-1, 2.04 ERA) is listed as Boston’s probable starter. Houck has 19 strikeouts against two walks in 17 2/3 innings this season.
Houck is 0-1 with one save and a 3.52 ERA in seven career appearances (two starts) against Cleveland.
Tuesday’s loss dropped Boston’s home record to 2-6. The Red Sox are 1-3 in extra-inning games.
“We still have two games in this homestand,” Cora said. “It’s been a tough one so far, but we come here, win two games and get ready for Pittsburgh.”
–Field Level Media
