Starting pitchers in Game 2 were righthander Corey Kluber (Cleveland) and lefthander David Price (Boston), who had very equal stats this season.
Kluber, who pitched in his first postseason-game, was 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 215 innings.
This season, Kluber started two games against Boston and was 1-1.
In his career (nine games) against the Red Sox, he is 2-3.
He was 10-5 in home-games of the Indians this season.
Kluber had the third lowest opposing batting average in the American League with .216.
Price was 17-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 230 innings.
He led the Majors in innings pitched.
His 228 strikeouts in one season are the most by a lefthanded pitcher in Red Sox-history.
The lefthander is the first pitcher to play in a postseason in four consecutive years for four different teams.
He pitched for Tampa Bay Rays in 2013, then for Detroit Tigers in 2014 and for Toronto Blue Jays last year, before taking the mound today for the Red Sox.
Before today, Price was 5-0 in the seven games he pitched at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
This season, Price started one game against the Indians and was the winning pitcher.
In his career, he is 10-2 against Cleveland.
In the top of the first inning, Boston reached base first when Brock Holt singled with one out, but a double play then ended the at bat.
Cleveland was retired in order in its first at bat by David Price, but then rallied for four runs in the second inning.
With one out, Carlos Santana singled, then José Ramirez reached on an infield-hit and Brandon Guyer followed with a single into centerfield that gave Cleveland its first run.
Hereafter, Lonnie Chisenhall drove the ball down the rightfield-line.
There, the ball hit the plexi-glass protection of a TV-camera above the yellow-line mark of the rightfield-wall and jumped back to the field.
Rightfield-umpire Brian Knight immediately gave the homerun-signal and with that, the Indians were leading 4-0.
...Xander Bogaerts hit one of the only three basehits...
...that Boston registered in this game...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the bottom of the third inning, Mike Napoli singled with one out for Cleveland and stole second base.
But he stranded there, as the next two batters struckout.
After having been retired in a row in the second and third inning, Boston reached base again in the fourth.
Dustin Pedroia led off with a walk and with one out, Mookie Betts (who today turned 24) also walked.
Hereafter, David Ortiz popped up for an infield-fly and the inning ended when Corey Kluber struckout Hanley Ramirez.
Cleveland added its next run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Brandon Guyer then led off with a single and advanced on an one-out walk for Roberto Perez.
That led to an early departure for David Price, who was replaced by Matt Barnes.
He got a force play-grounder from Rajai Davis that brought Guyer to third base and he then scored on a following single by Jason Kipnis.
In the top of the fifth inning, Xander Bogaerts led off with a single for Boston, but he stranded on first base, as Kluber retired the next three batters.
In the bottom of the fifth, José Ramirez singled and stole second base.
However, the safe-call at second base was challenged and in the end overturned, meaning Ramirez was caught stealing to end the inning.
Boston got another baserunner in the sixth when Mookie Betts singled with two outs, but hereafter, David Ortiz lined out to rightfield.
In the bottom of the sixth, Cleveland scored another run to lift the lead to 6-0.
Brandon Guyer led off with a single, which led to another pitching change.
Robbie Ross, Jr. took over and struckout Lonnie Chisenhall, then was relieved by Brad Ziegler.
He saw Roberto Perez hit a grounder to second baseman Dustin Pedroia for an apparant force play at second base.
However, Pedroia missed the ball and with that, Cleveland got runners at the corners.
Moments later, Guyer scored on a sacrifice fly by Rajai Davis.
In the top of the eighth, Boston got a chance to do something back, as it got its first two batters on base.
Sandy Leon led off with a walk and next batter Jackie Bradley, Jr. was hit by a pitch.
Hereafter, Dan Otero took over the pitching for Kluber.
He struckout Dustin Pedroia, saw Brock Holt line out to centerfield, then a grounder by Mookie Betts ended in a force out.
Bryan Shaw closed the game for the Indians and retired the side.
First, David Ortiz flied out, then a hard grounder by Hanley Ramirez ended in a nice play by first baseman and former Boston-player Mike Napoli.
The game ended when Xander Bogaerts flied out to centerfield.
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Cleveland shuts out Boston in Game 2 of ALDS
CLEVELAND, Ohio (USA) -
Cleveland Indians shutout Boston Red Sox 6-0 on Friday (October 7) in Game 2 of the best-of-five American League Division Series to take a 2-0 lead.
The Series now moves to Boston, where it will continue on Sunday.
In the opener on Thursday, Cleveland won 5-4.
In that game, both teams hit three homeruns.
The six homeruns tied the ALDS single-game record.