Will Brennan belted a pinch-hit, two-run home run to help the visiting Cleveland Guardians earn a 6-0 road victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon.
Brennan batted for Tyler Freeman with two outs in the seventh inning. His home run came against reliever Greg Weissert and was his first homer of the season.
Tim Herrin (2-0) earned the win for pitching two innings in relief of starter Xzavion Curry, who limited Boston to two hits in the first five frames. Herrin didn’t surrender a hit, walked one and struck out three.
The game was scoreless until Brennan’s blast gave the Guardians a 2-0 lead. Josh Naylor, who singled earlier in the inning, also scored on the play.
Brennan Bernardino (0-1) gave up Naylor’s single and took the loss. It was the only baserunner he allowed in an inning of relief.
Cleveland doubled its lead by scoring twice in the eighth. With runners on first and third, Jose Ramirez doubled to right on a hard-hit ball that deflected off the glove of first baseman Triston Casas. Brayan Rocchio scored on the hit and Steven Kwan made it 4-0 when he raced home on right fielder Wilyer Abreu’s throwing error to second base.
The Guardians took a 5-0 lead on a Gabriel Arias double that drove in Brennan in the ninth. Rocchio followed with a single that scored Arias to make it 6-0.
Boston starter Kutter Crawford pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.
Third baseman Rafael Devers was back in Boston’s lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury. Devers collected one of Boston’s three hits.
Boston outfielder Tyler O’Neill suffered a cut on his forehead when he collided with Devers, who drifted into left field to make a catch for the final out in the top of the seventh. O’Neill walked off the field but did not return to the game.
O’Neill began the day tied with Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna for the major league lead in home runs with seven.
–Field Level Media