Red Sox use big eighth inning to outslug Guardians

The Boston Red Sox broke open a tie game by scoring four runs in the eighth inning en route to an 11-7 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.

Alex Bregman’s RBI single handed the Red Sox (78-62) an 8-7 lead. Jarren Duran followed with an RBI double and then Trevor Story added a two-run double. Three of the four runs were charged to Cade Smith, who allowed four hits and didn’t retire a batter.

Justin Slaten (2-4) earned the win for pitching a scoreless eighth inning. Brennan Bernardino handled the ninth.

Cleveland’s Hunter Gaddis (1-2) tossed one inning and was charged with one run.

Nathaniel Lowe (No. 18) and Ceddanne Rafaela (No. 16) homered for Boston, which has won three in a row.

Cleveland (68-69) received solo home runs from Jhonkensy Noel (No. 3) and Austin Hedges (No. 4), a two-run home run from David Fry (No. 7) and a three-run home run from Brayan Rocchio (No. 4). All four home runs were hit off Boston starter Garrett Crochet, who allowed seven runs on nine hits in six innings.

Crochet struck out four without walking a batter.

Noel’s home run opened the scoring in the second. Boston strung together six consecutive hits in the bottom of the inning, when it took a 4-1 lead. The inning featured an RBI single by Romy Gonzalez, a two-run single by Rafaela and an RBI single by Roman Anthony.

Three of Cleveland’s four home runs came in the top of the sixth, when the Guardians scored six runs to take a lead. Hedges’ long ball made it 5-2, Fry’s two-run shot pulled the Guardians within a run and Rocchio’s three-run home run put Cleveland in front 7-5.

Rafaela tied the game by hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.

Anthony left the game after he struck out in the fourth inning. He grabbed his back and went straight to the clubhouse, and Nate Eaton replaced him in right field. The Red Sox announced that Anthony exited due to left oblique tightness. Following the game, manager Alex Cora said that Anthony would undergo an MRI exam on Wednesday.