Red Sox drop another and last place looms again

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CLEVELAND -- When Corey Kluber last faced the Red Sox, they lit him up for six runs in six innings. On a rainy Saturday night, Kluber got his revenge.

Kluber limited the Red Sox to just three hits over eight innings while fanning nine as the Cleveland Indians shut out the Red Sox 2-0, dealing the Sox their third straight loss after a run of six consecutive victories.

The Sox fielded a makeshift lineup, with David Ortiz getting the night off and Dustin Pedroia scratched from the lineup an hour before game time due to some concern about the wet conditions and his chronic hamstring issues. 

Still, Kluber dominated the Sox. He yielded a one-out single to Travis Shaw in the fourth and two harmless singles from Sandy Leon. At one point, he got six straight outs by strikeout -- five of them looking.

Criag Breslow, making his second spot start in the last week, provided a good outing, pitching into the sixth. He yielded solo homers to Carlos Santana in the second and Ryan Raburn in the fourth, but otherwise kept the Sox in the game.

Matt Barnes, Tommy Layne and Heath Hembree combined to give the Red Sox 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The loss leaves the Red Sox alone in last place in the American League East. They'll need to win Sunday and hope Tampa Bay loses to Toronto to finish in a tie for fourth. Otherwise, they'll be alone in fifth place for the second straight year in the American League East.

 

AT A GLANCE

STAR OF THE GAME: Corey Kluber

The Cleveland ace was masterful, allowing just three hits over eight scoreless innings while racking up nine strikeouts. This was more like the Kluber of 2014, when he was the American League Cy Young Award winner.

HONORABLE MENTION: Ryan Raburn

Raburn hit a bomb off Breslow to open the fourth -- about two rows deep into the left field bleachers -- to double the Indians lead from one to two runs.

GOAT OF THE GAME: Craig Breslow

It's tough to assign this to Breslow in what was probably his final appearance in a Red Sox uniform. But the two solo homers he allowed represented the only runs of the night in a Red Sox' defeat.

TURNING POINT:

The Sox hinted at a chance of scoring with a one-out single from Sandy Leon. But on an apparent botched hit-and-run, Jackie Bradley Jr. swung and missed at a pitch and Leon was easily gunned down.

BY THE NUMBERS:

The Red Sox have scored a total of three runs in the last three games.

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