Cleveland Guardians

FENWAY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s reserve utilityman Andruw Monasterio’s sixth-inning RBI single and starting pitcher Sonny Gray’s six shutout innings propelled the ed Sox to a 1-0 win over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.

The Red Sox (85-73) managed the lone run on 12 hits, all singles. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base through five innings before Monasterio’s run-scoring, two-out knock off Cleveland starter Foster Griffin (15-6) broke the deadlock.

In the sixth, Jarren Duran (2-for-3) lined a leadoff single to left and moved to second on a groundout. He scored from second base on Monasterio’s knock, sliding ahead of left fielder Steven Kwan’s relay throw and catcher Patrick Bailey’s tag.

Gray (18-5) struck out three while allowing four hits and one walk to increase his American League-leading win total. Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman each threw a scoreless inning to finish off Boston’s 17th shutout victory of the season.

Chapman struck out the side in the ninth to log his 35th save as Boston snapped a three-game losing streak.

Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela returned from a 17-game injury absence caused by a right quad strain to record all three outs in the first, including a spectacular diving catch on Kwan, the leadoff hitter who still went 2-for-4 for Cleveland (82-76).

Griffin worked six frames, striking out seven and allowing one run on 10 hits and no walks.

The Guardians remained one game up on the White Sox (81-77) in the American League Central after Chicago lost 5-4 at Kansas City on Wednesday.

Rafaela hit a leadoff single in the second inning but appeared to be in pain after reaching first. He stayed in the game to run the bases and initially took his defensive position before Duran replaced him. The Red Sox announced that Rafaela was dealing with right hamstring tightness.

Rafaela’s defense helped Gray retire the first six men he faced. Bailey recorded Cleveland’s first hit with a leadoff single in the third, but a 6-3 double play ended the inning without any damage. Gray fanned a pair of Guardians to strand two to end the fourth.

After the lone run scored and Gray exited, Guerrero struck out three in the seventh after a leadoff walk. Whitlock worked around Brayan Rocchio’s leadoff single and Jose Ramirez’s one-out walk in the eighth, inducing an inning-ending double-play grounder from Chase DeLauter.

–Field Level Media

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox hope to shift some momentum in advance of the playoffs when they host the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night in the second game of a three-game series.

Cleveland extended its winning streak to six games by beating Boston 3-2 on Tuesday. It was the third straight loss for the Red Sox (84-73), who have dropped eight of their last 12 games and own a 9-10 record in September but still clinched a wild-card berth on Sunday.

Add left-handed reliever Erik Miller to the list of Boston’s concerns as the Red Sox prepare for the playoffs. Miller looked sharp when the Red Sox acquired him from San Francisco in August, but he has allowed nine walks and hit two batters in September.

One of those hit batsmen scored the game-winning run Tuesday. Miller hit Chase DeLauter to start the ninth inning, and DeLauter ended up breaking a 2-2 tie when he scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly.

Miller has given up six runs and six walks in his past 3 1/3 innings and took the loss on Tuesday.

“He’s working through stuff,” Boston manager Chad Tracy said. “I thought today was another step in the right direction. The hit batter … the free passes are what gets you, and I think he also got some bad batted ball (luck). … We’re gonna try to get him out there a couple more times this week. Obviously still trust the stuff. If we can get that right, trust the stuff and his ability to strike out guys.”

Tuesday’s win allowed the Guardians (82-75) to remain one game ahead of the Chicago White Sox at the top of the American League Central standings. Chicago has the division tiebreaker over Cleveland, which has a magic number of two to clinch a playoff berth.

Meanwhile, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt called Lowe “a professional hitter.”

“You know he’s not trying to do too much,” Vogt said. “He’s not going up there trying to be a hero, hitting a three-run homer. Just score the guy from third. Got a pitch up in the zone, and was able to drive it deep enough to left. And you know he continues to just make plays for us.”

The Guardians won despite stranding 15 runners and a 1-for-12 hitting performance with runners in scoring position.

“Again, felt like it was another night where we get a ton of traffic, we put a lot of pressure on, and just weren’t able to get the big hit,” Vogt said. “You know, we were able to get a couple runs across, but we left a lot on the table. But I just love the way we’re making guys work. We’re getting on base … and we’re going to come through a lot more often than not. And again, our pitching just picked us up again tonight.”

Tracy said he expects center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (quadriceps) to be activated from the injured list on Wednesday. The manager also said first baseman Willson Contreras still has some soreness in his hand and won’t be in the lineup Wednesday but is close to returning.

Right-hander Sonny Gray (17-5, 2.82 ERA) will start for the Red Sox on Wednesday. He’s 8-5 with a 3.12 ERA in 21 career starts against the Guardians. On May 30, he gave up one run on four hits and three walks over six innings against them. He struck out seven in a 9-1 win.

Left-hander Foster Griffin (15-5, 3.67 ERA) will start for Cleveland on Wednesday. It will be his first career appearance against the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Cleveland Guardians are playing some of their best baseball of the season at the most important time, and they will attempt to extend a five-game winning streak when they visit the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Cleveland (81-75) has a one-game lead over the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central standings with six games remaining. After playing three games at Boston, the Guardians will wrap up the regular season with a three-game road series against the Kansas City Royals.

The Guardians also have a three-game lead over the Texas Rangers, who are at the top of the American League West standings. Cleveland and Texas are among the teams battling for the AL’s No. 2 seed, which comes with a first-round bye.

“The feeling in the clubhouse is pretty awesome right now,” Cleveland closer Cade Smith said after he earned his 39th save in 44 opportunities when the Guardians beat the Athletics 1-0 Sunday. “We’ve got some momentum. We’ve got confidence in the way we’re playing. We’re playing clean baseball.

“There’s this kind of calm focus that we’re ready to go out there and play. We’re looking forward to taking it one game at a time and finishing strong and setting us up for the postseason.”

The Guardians went 10-20 in their first 30 games after the All-Star break and were a season-high five games under .500 (61-66) at that point but have gone 20-9 since then.

“One day at a time,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We can only control today. Let’s go 1-0 every day and let’s worry about tomorrow, tomorrow, because here we are, one week to go, six games to go. We’re right in it and we have a great opportunity in front of us.”

Despite dropping a 5-1 decision to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, Boston (84-72) clinched a playoff spot when the Houston Astros lost to the Atlanta Braves. A postseason berth didn’t seem likely when the Red Sox had a 32-46 record on June 24.

“They didn’t take no for an answer,” said interim manager Chad Tracy, who took over a 10-17 team when he replaced Alex Cora on April 26. “When you work as hard as we have worked, it was almost July (before we got going), and to fight as hard as we did, to put ourselves in the position we did, I don’t think you care much how (the spot is clinched). You just want to see your ticket get punched.”

The Red Sox will almost certainly open the playoffs with a best-of-three wild-card series on the road against the New York Yankees. Boston and New York also met in the wild-card round last year, when the Yankees won the series in three games.

Boston also has six regular-season games remaining. After the three-game series against the Guardians, Boston will play three home games against the Chicago Cubs.

Tuesday’s pitching matchup features a pair of left-handers in Cleveland’s Parker Messick (12-9, 2.57 ERA) and Boston’s Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.02). Tolle was originally scheduled to pitch over the weekend against Tampa Bay, but had his start pushed back as Boston lines up its pitching for the postseason.

Messick doesn’t have a decision against Boston but has a 4.15 ERA in two career appearances (both starts). Tolle has not pitched against Cleveland during his career.

–Field Level Media

CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – A six-run seventh inning propelled the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 9-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series. Boston trailed 4-3 entering the seventh and scored all six runs with two outs. The inning included a two-run single by left fielder Masataka Yoshida, who had misplayed a fly ball in the fifth that allowed Cleveland to score the game-tying run.

Jarren Duran hit his 10th home run of the season for the Red Sox. It extended his hitting streak to eight games. Every player in Boston’s lineup had at least one hit in the victory.

Chase DeLauter and David Fry each collected three hits for the Guardians.

The Red Sox lineup didn’t include Willson Contreras or Ceddanne Rafaela. Contreras, who is dealing with a lingering hand/wrist issue, entered in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement. Rafaela was a late scratch with lower back tightness.

Jovani Moran (2-1) earned the win for pitching 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after Ranger Suarez tossed 10 strikeouts but allowed all four of Cleveland’s runs over the first five frames.

Colin Holderman (3-1) took the loss. He recorded one out and allowed two of Boston’s six runs in the seventh.

After Duran led off the game with a home run, Cleveland took a 2-1 lead in the second when Austin Hedges drove in Fry and Rhys Hoskins with a two-run single.

Boston regained the lead by scoring twice in the fifth. Mickey Gasper’s sacrifice fly drove in Marcelo Mayer, and Connor Wong scored on Wilyer Abreu’s single to put the Red Sox up 3-2.

Cleveland tied the game when Yoshida didn’t see a Jose Ramirez fly ball that dropped in for a double and allowed Brayan Rocchio to score. DeLauter followed with a single that drove in Ramirez to give the Guardians a 4-3 lead.

It was 4-4 after Cleveland reliever Tim Herrin walked Abreu with the bases loaded in the seventh. After Yoshida’s two-run single extended Boston’s lead to 6-4, Isiah Kiner-Falefa came up with a run-scoring single that drove in Abreu, and Caleb Durbin tripled to score Yoshida and Kiner-Falefa to make it 9-4.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee went six innings and struck out five while scattering three runs and six hits.

–Field Level Media

CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – Connor Wong hasn’t seen much action of late behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox, so he has to maximize every opportunity he receives.

Thanks to his big game Saturday, the Red Sox have a chance at earning a rare series victory against the host Cleveland Guardians.

Boston will send left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.02 ERA) to the mound against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57) today, seeking its sixth series triumph in 19 sets this season.

Wong drove in three runs, including the go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and had a pair of hits for the Red Sox in a 9-1 win. It was just his third start at catcher in a 22-day span as Mickey Gasper and Carlos Narvaez have taken most of the playing time.

“Just a really, really good performance by a guy who hasn’t played much,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Don’t forget, he also had a rocket in the second that (Daniel Schneemann) made a great play on in center. Most days, that falls for a double here.”

Wong finished 2-for-5 with a run and was able to wear the Red Sox’s prized Wally the Green Monster mascot head for the first time, only to have a replay review by crew chief John Tumpane take away the home run that earned him the privilege.

The 30-year-old’s double in the sixth was initially called a homer, which would have been his first since 2024, but the MLB command center ruled the ball had struck the yellow line atop the fence before hitting the guardrail.

“It sucks that was taken away,” said Wong, who is a .442 hitter with five homers and 12 RBIs in 13 career  games against Cleveland. “I still think it was a homer. I wish I could have appealed it myself. But any time you get the win, it feels great.”

Wong played a significant role defensively as well, as winning pitcher Sonny Gray allowed only one run in six innings and credited him for calming him down after a rough first inning.

“He’s great back there,” Gray said. “I was happy for him with the way he played today.”

Suarez has either been terrific or terrible in his first 10 starts for Boston, giving up four or more runs in four of them — and one total run in the other six outings. He was rocked for a season-high five runs in a loss to the visiting Atlanta Braves in his last game on May 26.

In three career appearances against Cleveland, all as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Suarez is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

The American League Central Division-leading Guardians have endured a historically bad first two months from Bibee. His low point occurred on May 25, giving up a franchise record-tying five homers in three innings during a 10-2 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals.

“I thought it was a lack of execution, and we just haven’t seen that from Tanner,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It was a tough one, just a lot of mistakes over the middle. He didn’t have much. That was it.”

Bibee went exactly five innings in both of his previous games against Boston, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The Red Sox have worked him for four walks and struck out only five times.

A roster move could be in the offing for the Guardians, who are now without two starting outfielders. Left fielder Angel Martinez is scheduled to have an MRI after exiting Saturday’s game with left foot inflammation in the fifth inning.

Center fielder Steven Kwan, a multiple-time Gold Glove winner in left, remains on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Stuart Fairchild was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take his place and went 0-for-2 with a throwing error on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Gabriel Arias hit a two-run home run during a six-run second inning that propelled the visiting Cleveland Guardians to an 8-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Timely hitting hasn’t been a problem for the Boston Red Sox in their past two games, and they will aim for their third straight victory on Tuesday when they battle the visiting Cleveland Guardians.

Carlos Narvaez came up with the first pinch hit of his major league career on Monday, and it was the key blow in Boston’s 6-4 victory over Cleveland.

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Narvaez came off the bench to hit for Nathaniel Lowe with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, and he delivered on an 0-2 pitch from lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski. The two-run single broke a 3-3 tie.

“I just (saw) one pitch to get comfortable and then I got two strikes already so I just got back to my approach, which is going to the opposite field,” Narvaez told WEEI. “I saw four fastballs in that at-bat, so I tried to put the ball in play. … Glad to drive in two runs there.

“That’s my bread and butter — trying to go to the other field. Sometimes I was not confident earlier in the month trying to pull the ball. … Sometimes I take my chance if it’s 2-0 or 3-1, but as soon as I get two strikes, I just get back to my approach. I know it probably could be better if I do that from the first pitch, but as of now, that’s what’s bringing me back: trying to put the ball in play to the other side.”

Prior to Monday, Narvaez was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as a pinch hitter in his career.

CLEVELAND – Following a successful series against the leaders of the American League East, the Cleveland Guardians will take aim at the other storied franchise in that division. After rain postponed their series opener on Friday, the Guardians and visiting Boston Red Sox will play a split doubleheader today.

Cleveland extended its winning streak to five games by winning the first two contests of its series against the New York Yankees before falling 5-1 on Wednesday.

“Obviously, we want to win every single day,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

Cleveland is 11-4 after losing six of its first nine games of the season. The Guardians have won seven of the last nine meetings against the Red Sox.

However, Boston’s scheduled Game 1 starter, right-hander Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA), is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in nine career appearances (four starts) versus Cleveland.

Guardians star Jose Ramirez is 14-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven home games against Boston. He is 2-for-13 against Houck, but one of those hits left the park.

After being roughed up for 12 runs (11 earned) and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay on April 14, Houck yielded only a two-run homer in the first inning, two other hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six frames of Boston’s 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“Slowly just working your way through it and showing up each and every day with a good attitude, chipping away at it, is kind of the recipe for success,” Houck said.

The veteran will try to help Boston get back on track from dropping the final two contests of a three-game home set versus Seattle. Alex Bregman homered with two RBIs and had half of the team’s four hits in Thursday’s 4-3 loss.

Bregman is 7-for-14 with five RBIs in the last four games. He is batting .320 this season.

“He’s in a good spot. A great start,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

In the nightcap on Saturday, the Red Sox will turn to Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23 ERA), who allowed nine runs and 14 hits — including three homers — over 9 1/3 innings while splitting his first two starts as a member of the Red Sox. But he’s 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts since that rough opening.

The right-hander gave up three walks for a second straight start Monday against the Chicago White Sox on Patriots’ Day, but he permitted only four hits and a run while striking out nine in a season-high seven innings of a 4-2 victory.

Buehler has never faced the Guardians, who will start Ben Lively (1-2, 3.86 ERA) in Game 1. The right-hander yielded four hits and a walk through 5 1/3 innings of last Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Pittsburgh.

“That was Ben at his best,” Vogt said.

Lively usually has been at his best versus Boston, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four career starts.

Boston star Rafael Devers is 0-for-15 over the last five games overall and 0-for-5 with two strikeouts versus Lively.

Touted prospect Doug Nikhazy is slated to make his major league debut while starting Game 2 for Cleveland. A second-round pick in 2021, the left-hander was 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA and fanned 22 in four 2025 starts for Triple-A Columbus.

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report0 – Following a successful series against the leaders of the American League East, the Cleveland Guardians take aim at the other storied franchise in that division.

Yet to lose a series at home, the Guardians open a three-game set Friday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox, who look to avoid their third straight defeat.

Despite losing 5-1 to the first-place New York Yankees on Wednesday, Cleveland took two of three in the home set, and sit 7-2 at home.

“Obviously, we want to win every single day,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

Cleveland had won five straight prior to Wednesday, and is 11-4 after losing six of its first nine contests. The Guardians have won seven of their last nine against the Red Sox.

However, scheduled Boston starter Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA) has a 1.78 ERA while going 1-1 in four career starts versus Cleveland. The right-hander allowed two runs and eight hits over 15 innings of his two starts against the Guardians in 2024. Overall, Houck is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in nine appearances, four starts, against Cleveland.

Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, batting .364 in the last 13 games, is 2-for-7 with a pair of walks versus Hauck. Fellow Guardians star Jose Ramirez, 14-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven home games versus Boston, is only 2-for-13 all-time against Houck, but one of those hits left the park.

Entering this contest, Houck looks to post back-to-back strong starts for the first time in 2025. After being roughed up for 12 runs — 11 earned — and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay on April 14, Houck yielded only a first-inning, two-run homer to Matt Thaiss, two other hits with two walks and struck out seven over six innings of Boston’s 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“I’ve been scuffling, even in spring training, with delivery stuff and just getting back on track, (but) slowly just working your way through it and showing up each and every day with a good attitude, chipping away at it, is kind of the recipe for success,” Houck said.

The veteran will try to help Boston get back on track after it dropped the final two of a three-game home set versus Seattle after winning six of seven. Alex Bregman homered, drove in a pair and produced half of the Red Sox’s four hits in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Mariners.

Bregman is 7-for-14 with five RBIs in the last four games, and batting .320 on the season.