Swisher-licious ending leaves sour taste for Red Sox
By Sean Sylver
Nick Swisher hit a solo shot for the Cleveland Indians in the top of the 11th inning to sink the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Swisher homered off Junichi Tazawa (1-1), sending the Red Sox to another disappointing loss and making a winner of Cody Allen (3-1). The Indians are back at .500 on the year (35-35) while Boston falls seven games under (31-38).
The Tribe got on the board early as Michael Brantley took Brandon Workman deep for a 1-0 lead in the first. Workman, who is appealing a suspension for throwing behind Evan Longoria of the Rays (presumably on the grounds that serial plunker David Price got off scot-free) worked six excellent innings, allowing just five hits, two walks and two earned runs, striking out seven.
The normally reliable Burke Badenhop promptly blew Workman’s lead, yielding a sacrifice fly to Yan Gomes that scored former Red Sox spare part David Murphy.
David Ortiz plated the first Boston run (Dustin Pedroia) in the bottom of the first off Corey Kluber, but was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. After a hit by Mike Napoli and a walk to Daniel Nava, A.J. Pierzynski struck out on three pitches.
The Sox scratched another run across on a Pedroia fielder’s choice in the fifth, scoring Jackie Bradley.
One bright spot for the Red Sox was Brock Holt. The spark plug had two more hits at the top of the Boston order to raise his average to .340 on the season. Holt played at third base with Xander Bogaerts out with an illness. Stephen Drew, back in the lineup after a lengthy absence, surprised with two hits of his own from the eighth spot in the order. Daniel Nava also worked three walks for Boston.
The Red Sox host the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park starting Monday evening.