Ben Lively allowed one run over 6 1/3 strong innings, and Will Brennan’s double sparked a two-run rally in the seventh, as the Cleveland Guardians won their fifth straight, 4-1 over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
After being outpitched by Boston’s Tanner Houck during Cleveland’s 2-0 loss at Fenway Park on April 17 in his 2024 debut, Lively yielded just Wilyer Abreu’s homer in the seventh, four other hits and struck out seven without a walk while again opposing the Red Sox right-hander. Lively had missed the opening weeks of his Cleveland tenure due to a viral illness.
Houck (3-2), who tossed a three-hit complete game against the Guardians last week, was nearly as dominant Tuesday. But in the seventh, Brennan led off with a double into the right-center-field gap for his second hit and scored on Tyler Freeman’s tying single.
Houck’s night ended when he walked Estevan Florial without recording an out in the seventh. Brennan Bernardino entered and walked David Fry to load the bases. Brayan Rocchio followed with a sacrifice fly, charged to Houck, that put Cleveland ahead 2-1.
Jose Ramirez’s opposite-field homer to right and Florial’s RBI double in the eighth provided insurance for the Guardians, who have won eight of nine and are an MLB-best 17-6.
Meanwhile, Rob Refsnyder had three hits for the Red Sox, who despite being plagued by injuries, are two-games above .500 and just came off a three-game series sweep of Pittsburgh. However, they managed just six hits in the opener of this three-game set.
Boston broke Tuesday’s stalemate with one out in the seventh. Abreu, who had just three career homers in 46 big-league games entering this contest, sent a 2-2 pitch from Lively into the right-field seats.
However, the Guardians were finally able to get to Houck — who gave up five hits and walked three with four strikeouts — in the bottom of that frame.
Cleveland’s Scott Barlow (1-2) earned the win and Emmanuel Clase struck out the side in the ninth for his seventh save.
