G57: Cleveland 3, Red Sox 2

Red Sox   - 000 000 020 - 2  5  0
Cleveland - 201 000 00x - 3  8  0

Cleveland took advantage of some early wildness from John Lackey (8-8-3-2-3, 96), but the Red Sox could not do the same against Justin Masterson (7-3-0-4-10, 105). Cleveland snapped Boston's seven-game winning streak with a one-run victory that lasted only 2:21.

Boston loaded the bases in the first inning on a single by Xander Bogaerts and walks to Dustin Pedroia and A.J. Pierzynski. Jonny Gomes struck out looking on a full count pitch low in the zone. Those three men left on base would haunt the Red Sox for the rest of the game.

Lackey also walked two men in the first inning - and they both scored. Michael Bourn began the inning with a walk and, with one out, Lackey walked Michael Brantley. After a ground ball moved the runners to second and third, Lonnie Chisenhall brought them both home by looping an opposite-field single to left.

Bourn tripled to deep center in the third and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera single to right, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

With one out in the third, Pedroia singled and David Ortiz walked. Pierzynski, who had seen eight pitches in his previous at-bat, hacked at the first one, and grounded into an inning-ending double play. Pierzynski also ended the sixth with another double play, with Ortiz on first and one out.

Masterson struck out the side on nine pitches in the fourth. At one point, he threw 21 pitches without tossing a ball out of the strike zone.

Bryan Shaw came out of the bullpen for Cleveland in the eighth. With one out, Brock Holt lined a single to right and Bogaerts homered to right-center. Shaw then retired Pedroia on a grounder to second and Marc Rzepczynski got Ortiz to line out to center.

The Red Sox went quietly in the ninth against Cody Allen: Pierzynski grounded to second, Gomes struck out, and Grady Sizemore popped to shortstop.

John Lackey / Justin Masterson

Holt, 1B
Bogaerts, 3B
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Pierzynski, C
Gomes, LF
Sizemore, RF
Drew, SS
Bradley, CF

The Red Sox pitching staff has allowed only nine runs over the last six games: 3, 0, 3, 2, 1, 0.

Roster Moves:

Stephen Drew and Daniel Nava recalled from Pawtucket
Mike Carp to 15-day disabled list (broken foot)
Garin Cecchini optioned to Pawtucket

Jacqueline Keller, Salon:

I am a Cleveland Indian.

No — I'm not referring to that grotesque caricature, "Chief Wahoo," the Cleveland Indians baseball team uses as its mascot. What I mean is that I was born in Cleveland — a child of U.S. Relocation and Termination policies meant to make native American tribes disappear. The purported goal of these Termination-era congressional laws and resolutions was to "liberate Indians" from the wardship of the U.S. government. But what they did, in fact, was eliminate tribes' federally recognized status, sovereignty, and force the sell-off of tribal assets and land. These policies also led to the loss of a generation of young people to urban centers — many of whom, like my parents, never returned home. ...