The Boston Red Sox couldn’t complete a rally after being down five runs and fell to the Cleveland Guardians, 6-4, at Progressive Field on Thursday afternoon.
The Red Sox dropped to 14-12 with the loss in the rubber match of the three-game series while the Guardians improved to an American League-best 18-7.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The outcome for the Red Sox could have been much different if it weren’t for one swing from Guardians third baseman José Ramírez.
But even after Ramírez put Cleveland ahead, 5-0, in the second inning, the Red Sox showed plenty of fight to battle back. They answered right away with two runs in the top of the third and scored twice more in the sixth to pull within a run.
But Boston couldn’t get over the hump despite plenty of chances. The Red Sox left eight men on base and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
It would have been a galvanizing win for the Red Sox, given the opponent and the state of their injury-riddled roster. But instead, Boston was left with what could have been.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Ramírez delivered the biggest blow to the Red Sox with a second-inning grand slam with two outs. The massive homer from Ramírez came on the 10th pitch of his at-bat against Red Sox righty Chase Anderson. The Guardians star finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs to go along with a stolen base.
— Rafael Devers kept swinging a hot bat after returning Wednesday following a five-game absence due to a knee injury. Devers had his second straight three-hit performance to push his batting average up to .263.
— Rob Refsnyder has at least one hit in five out of his last six games since coming off the injured list. The veteran outfielder went 2-for-4 against the Guardians with an RBI triple.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox return home to Fenway Park, where they host the Chicago Cubs on Friday for the first time in seven years. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus 90 minutes of pregame coverage, on NESN.
