Alex Verdugo hit a walk-off single through the left side as the Boston Red Sox walked off with an 8-7, 10-inning win over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.
Cleveland had erased a 6-1 deficit after six innings, scoring four times in the seventh, tying the game against Boston closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth, and jumping ahead on Mike Zunino’s two-out single in the 10th.
Christian Arroyo and Connor Wong both went 3-for-4 for the Red Sox, who totaled a season-high 16 hits. Verdugo, Rafael Devers and Ramiel Tapia all had two hits apiece.
Arroyo scored twice, including the game-winner after hitting a leadoff single and advancing on Wong’s sacrifice and a passed ball during the extra frame.
Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez all had three hits for Cleveland. Emmanuel Clase (1-2) took the loss after blowing his second save of the season.
Naylor’s three-run double was the key hit of Cleveland’s seventh, while Ramirez lined a two-on, one-out single in the ninth against Jansen, who had converted his previous 14 regular-season save opportunities, including six to start his Boston tenure.
Cleveland reliever Eli Morgan stranded the bases loaded in the ninth to force extras.
Brayan Bello could not win despite striking out six over five innings of one-run ball for the Red Sox. The victory went to Brennan Bernardino (1-0) after fanning two in the 10th.
Verdugo ripped the first pitch of the opening frame for a double to left. Masataka Yoshida walked to put two runners aboard for Devers, who crushed a three-run homer inside Pesky’s Pole in right to snap an 0-for-12 skid.
The Guardians got a run back when Josh Bell led off the second with a homer to deep center, but Bello bounced back to retire the next six.
Boston’s lead ballooned to 5-1 after four consecutive one-out hits ended Guardians starter Zach Plesac’s outing. Enmanuel Valdez’s wall-ball double and Arroyo’s single up the middle brought home runs.
Plesac was charged with five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The Red Sox added another run in unusual fashion in the sixth. Wong singled before executing the front end of a double steal that allowed Arroyo to cross the plate.
Cleveland’s four-run seventh began with Gimenez knocking a solo shot off the right-field pole.
Richard Bleier got two outs before walking Ramirez to load the bases, and John Schreiber allowed all three inherited runners to score on Naylor’s line double that kicked off the side wall and into right.
–Field Level Media
