Game Recap 6/6/23 | Guardians Lose 5-4 vs Red Sox

Observations from the Game

3 things about Guardians’ 5-4 Loss to Boston Red Sox:

1 – 8th inning implosion 

The Guardians entered the 8th inning with a 2-1 lead and Enyel De Los Santos on the bump, who up to this point has been the best reliever for Cleveland.  Sadly, De Los Santos could not get an out tonight giving up all four earned runs as the Guardians had to use Nick Sandlin and James Karinchak to get three outs in the 8th, yikes. 

2 – Paxton over Bieber 

James Paxton gave up two early runs for the Red Sox but settled down to get the victory going seven strong.  Shane Bieber got the no decision but had trouble in the 6th and was unable to complete the inning only going 5 2/3 innings with only two strikeouts. 

3 – Brennan on fire 

The debate on who to play in rightfield is starting to become a moot point as Will Brennan had another big night going 3 for 4 with an RBI.  Josh Naylor and Josh Bell also had good nights at the plate both getting two hits and Amed Rosario made a pinch-hitting appearance in the 8th getting an RBI single.

Game Summary

In Tuesday night’s game, the Boston Red Sox secured a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, thanks to a go-ahead RBI single by Rob Refsnyder in the eighth inning. James Paxton delivered an impressive performance, tying his season high with nine strikeouts. Kiké Hernández contributed two RBIs, while Masataka Yoshida stood out with three hits for the Red Sox. The team had a strong eighth inning, capitalizing on the struggles of Guardians relievers Enyel De Los Santos and Nick Sandlin. Paxton, in his longest outing since September 2019, allowed two runs in the first inning but settled in to give up only three hits over the next six innings. Kenley Jansen closed out the game with a perfect ninth, earning his 13th save of the season. This victory ended Boston’s three-game losing streak and improved their record to 10-16 since May 7.

Cleveland initially held a 2-1 lead going into the eighth inning, but De Los Santos loaded the bases and walked Hernández, allowing Justin Turner to score the tying run. Refsnyder and Pablo Reyes followed with RBI singles, and Alex Verdugo added a sacrifice fly to extend Boston’s lead to 5-2. The Guardians fought back in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs off Chris Martin with Amed Rosario’s single and Will Brennan’s double. However, Myles Straw struck out to end the inning, leaving the score at 5-4. Cleveland’s offense was led by Josh Naylor, who contributed a single, a double, and two runs scored, while Josh Bell had two hits in his return from the paternity list. Despite their strong start to the season, the defending AL Central champions have struggled, losing 27 of their last 45 games.

One standout player for the Red Sox was Masataka Yoshida, who went 3 for 5 with a run. The 29-year-old leads American League rookies with 66 hits and ranks third with a .320 batting average. Cleveland took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with consecutive doubles from Naylor and Bell. Boston responded in the sixth when Hernández singled to bring Yoshida home, narrowing the deficit to 2-1 and forcing Guardians starter Shane Bieber out of the game. Bieber pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and matching his season-low of two strikeouts.

Cleveland’s pitching coach, Carl Willis, was absent from the game due to personal reasons, with assistant Joe Torres stepping in. Looking ahead, the Red Sox have recalled left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy, one of their top prospects, from Triple-A Worcester. Murphy may potentially start on Thursday and has expressed his readiness to contribute to any role needed by the team. Manager Alex Cora stated that Murphy is available out of the bullpen but could be considered to fill the vacant spot in the rotation if not utilized in the first two games against Cleveland.

Up Next

Wednesday 6/7 7:10 PM EST – Game 2 vs Boston Red Sox.