Trevor Bauer returns but Indians fall 7-5 to Red Sox
CLEVELAND (AP) — Sam Travis and Tzu-Wei Lin hit their first major league home runs and the Boston Red Sox tied a team record more than a century old with their 105th win, beating the Cleveland Indians 7-5 Friday night.
The AL East champion Red Sox (105-49), playing without several of their regulars, matched the club mark set in 1912.
Trevor Bauer took a step toward being in Cleveland's postseason rotation, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings in his first appearance since breaking his right leg on Aug. 11. He was 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA when was struck on the lower leg by a line drive hit by Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox.
Boston ace Chris Sale, being eased back into the rotation after recent shoulder trouble, struck out seven in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs in his third start back from the disabled list.
Josh Donaldson homered off Sale in the fourth, ending the lefty's 35-inning consecutive scoreless streak. It was the first homer off Sale in 75 innings.
Donaldson was acquired from Toronto on Aug. 31 after missing three months with a calf injury. His homer on a 1-2 pitch landed in the left field bleachers and was his second with the Indians and seventh of the season.
The Red Sox used nine pitchers against the AL Central champion Indians. Matt Barnes (6-3) pitched a scoreless sixth and Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 42nd save.
Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. were out of Boston's lineup. Rafael Devers homered and Travis, who had three RBIs, for the Red Sox, who used a four-run seventh to erase a 4-2 deficit.
Shane Bieber (10-5) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Bauer allowed two hits, walked one and struck out J.D. Martinez, the major league RBIs leader. He threw 34 pitches — 17 strikes — and was pulled after allowing one-out singles to Steve Pearce and Brock Holt in the second.
Bauer is scheduled to start Tuesday against the White Sox and will pitch in Kansas City next weekend.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: INF Eduardo Nunez (left hamstring) is expected to miss the series. He was injured beating out an infield hit Wednesday.
UP NEXT
RHP Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.30 ERA), the team leader in wins, starts Saturday for Boston. RHP Mike Clevinger (12-8, 3.06 ERA) starts against the Red Sox for the first time this season.
