Recap: Boston vs. Cleveland
Sports Network | September 22, 2008
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Asdrubal Cabrera went 2-for-3, knocked in a run and scored once and Cleveland took advantage of a bizarre play involving the third base umpire to nick Boston, 4-3, preventing the Red Sox from clinching a playoff berth.
Travis Hafner drove in the eventual winning run for the Indians, who have won seven games in a row. Jamey Carroll and Shin-Soo Choo added an RBI each in the opener of the four-game set,
Zach Jackson (1-3) earned his first victory since 2006 after yielding six hits and two runs over six full frames.
Kevin Youkilis drove in a pair of runs and David Ortiz homered for the Red Sox, who have dropped two of three. Coupled with Tampa Bay's 4-2 win over Baltimore, Boston also fell 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Rays.
Josh Beckett (12-10) allowed seven hits and four runs over six innings in the loss. He hit a career-worst three batters in the contest.
In the home fifth, Ortiz slammed a two-out solo homer into the right-field bullpen to bring the Sox within 4-2.
Jason Bay singled to lead off the sixth inning, and Jason Varitek walked with two outs. Jeff Bailey then hit liner near third base. The ball, however, hit third base umpire Gerry Davis. Third baseman Carroll picked up the ball and threw out Bay, who was caught in a rundown between third and home.
Boston got within a run in the seventh. Facing Rafael Perez, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia hit back-to-back singles. Ortiz's fielder's choice put runners on the corners and brought on Rafael Betancourt, who gave up a double to Youkilis, which made it 4-3. Bay was given a free pass to load the bases, but Jed Lowrie struck out and Mark Kotsay flew out to end the rally.
Betancourt then worked around a one-out single by pinch-hitter Sean Casey to hold the Sox off the board in the eighth.
Jensen Lewis allowed a two-out single to Youkilis and a double to Bay before fanning Lowrie to end the game and pick up his 12th save.
Cleveland picked up a run in the second. Ben Francisco hit a ground-rule double with two down. Then Ryan Garko and Kelly Shoppach were hit by pitches. Cabrera drew a walk to force in Francisco, but Beckett eventually worked out of the jam by fanning Grady Sizemore swinging.
Ellsbury began the third with a single, and after a walk to Ortiz, Youkilis' double down the left-field line tied the game.
Carroll and Choo each smacked RBI singles to put the Tribe ahead 3-1 in the fifth. Following a ground-rule double by Jhonny Peralta, a groundout from Hafner plated Choo for a three-run edge.
Jackson went 2-2 with the Milwaukee Brewers in eight appearances (seven starts) two seasons ago...Boston has made the postseason in six of the last 10 seasons (1998-99, 2003-05; 2007)...Ellsbury's third-inning single extended his hit streak to 11 games...Major League Baseball on Monday suspended Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona six games, catcher Victor Martinez three games and Cabrera three games for their roles in Friday's brawl with Detroit. Martinez was replaced by Shoppach, but Cabrera's suspension wasn't scheduled to start until Thursday.
