CLEVELANDBobby Valentine said before Thursdays game that his Red Sox club was going to go on a run because theyre due for some good luck.
Looks like theyll be waiting for another day for their balance to come due as they once again fell just short in a 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Its Bostons third loss in a row and drops them three games under .500 on the season.
Felix Doubront, Bostons most consistent starter all season, appeared to wear down in the fifth in his second straight disappointing start. Doubront went just 4.1 innings giving up four runs and seven hits while walking two and striking out four.
Meanwhile the Sox looked like the keystone kops running the bases in the final innings attempting to eke out a single run.
Things didnt start all that groovy for the Sox early when Jason Donald served as a last minute lineup replacement in the leadoff spot, and kicked the game off with a solo blast to right field.
Doubront wiggled his way out of a two-out jam to end the first inning, and then cruised through the next five while waiting for the Sox offense to get things going.
That finally happened in the fourth inning when the red-hot Dustin Pedroia led off with a single, and Adrian Gonzalez launched a 395 foot bomb into the right field stands to give the Sox a one-run advantage.
Boston Red Sox
For those scoring at home thats six home runs and 29 RBI for Gonzalez since the Major League All-Star break. The Sox tacked another run on an RBI double from Pedroiaserving as the designated hitter for the first time in his career in his 14th straight game played -- in the top of the fifth. They needed it when Doubront appeared to tire in the fifth inning and got knocked out of the game after a pair of walks got the rookie lefty into a bases loaded jam.
Run-scoring hits from Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana tied things up, and a Michael Brantley sacrifice fly off reliever Andrew Miller pushed the Tribe to a 4-3 lead over the Sox. Ubaldo Jimenez had one of his best starts of the year for Cleveland as he sailed through six innings of work and fanned a season-high 10 Sox batters while outpitching Doubront.
The Sox had a fine situation to potentially tie things up when Pedro Ciriaco led off the seventh inning with a double to right field, but careless base-running led to Ciriaco and Carl Crawford getting gunned down in a rally crushing double play.