Christian Arroyo homered and drove in three runs to power the Boston Red Sox to their fifth consecutive victory, 6-3, over the host Cleveland Guardians on Friday.
Arroyo’s fourth home run of the season, a towering 405-foot blast to right center, broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh off reliever Bryan Shaw (3-1). Arroyo, who went 3-for-4, was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second by starting pitcher Cal Quantrill.
Boston starter Nick Pivetta (8-5) pitched seven solid innings and stymied the Guardians’ offense despite allowing a season-high eight hits. He surrendered two runs with no walks and four strikeouts.
The Red Sox, who improved to 17-4 in June, added a third run in the seventh when J.D. Martinez singled and scored on a double by Alex Verdugo for a 5-2 lead.
Andres Gimenez had a hand in Cleveland’s first two runs. He blasted his eighth home run, a 398-foot solo shot to right center, to knot the score at 2-2 in the fourth.
In the second, he singled and stole second. Slump-ridden Myles Straw drove him home with a single to even the score at 1-1.
The Red Sox regained the lead 2-1 in the top of the third when Rafael Devers drove an 0-2 pitch 411 feet for this 17th home run.
Quantrill went five innings and surrendered five hits, two runs, two walks and struck out four.
The right-hander allowed a single by Arroyo and double to Devers in the fifth. However, he was saved from further damage when right fielder Oscar Gonzalez made a shoestring catch of Martinez’s blooper and then threw a one-hop strike to catcher Austin Hedges, who tagged out Arroyo trying to score.
Boston added an insurance run in the ninth when Rob Refsnyder doubled in Trevor Story.
Cleveland loaded the bases in the ninth against closer Tanner Houck, but pushed across just one run on Steven Kwan’s RBI single.
–Field Level Media
