CLEVELAND — The Red Sox took Game 2 of a three-game weekend set with an extra innings victory over the Indians Saturday evening.
The Sox grabbed the early lead in the first with a solo jack from Kyle Schwarber. They added on with a single from J.D. Martinez, and he was driven in by a Xander Bogaerts double to make it 2-0.
Cleveland knotted it up with a pair of runs in the second though, as Franmil Reyes homered before an RBI double from Bradley Zimmer tied it up at 2-2.
Nathan Eovaldi hurled five strong innings and started the sixth, but was pulled after giving up a double. He finished with seven strikeouts while letting up six hits. He finished the day with only two runs issued to his name after Josh Taylor finished the sixth damage-less.
Boston missed a major scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh. With nobody out and runners on second and third, Travis Shaw bunted to move the runners over. But Jonathan Arauz popped out and Jarren Duran flied out to retire the side, and keep it tied at 2-2.
Hirokazu Sawamura loaded the bases in the seventh, but struck out Reyes to get out of the frame run-less.
A single from Rafael Devers would put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth, but the Sox came up short again as Alex Verdugo struck out swinging after two controversial strike calls by the home plate umpire.
Austin Davis had the bottom of the eighth, but let up a double and after the runner was moved over to third, Garrett Richards came on to grab the final out of the inning.
Boston was blanked in the top of the ninth, but Garrett Whitlock shut the door in the ninth to send it to extra innings.
Martinez, with nobody out in the 10th, walloped a three-run jack over the left-center field wall to give Boston the 5-2 lead.
Manager Alex Cora made an interesting decision for the closer, going with the left-handed Martin Perez. The southpaw loaded the bases after a walk and a hit batsmen though before he was able to record an out, and he was relieved by Adam Ottavino after striking out Bobby Bradley for the first out.
Ottavino struck out Austin Hedges for the second out, but Oscar Mercado singled into right to score one. But Ottavino retired Andres Gimenez on a groundout to end the ballgame, and capture the victory.
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)