CLEVELAND: Mike Napoli’s first hit as a member of the Indians was a big one, and it was enough to overcome a botched sixth inning in a 7-6 win against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night.
Everything started off so well for the Indians. But, if not for Napoli and his solo home run in the seventh inning, it all would have been wasted.
After struggling to do much of anything against Red Sox ace David Price in Tuesday’s season opener, the Indians (1-1) almost couldn’t have started better against Wednesday’s starter, Clay Buchholz. Jose Ramirez singled and came around to score on a Jason Kipnis double to the gap in right-center field.
Napoli then walked and Carlos Santana hit a no-doubter home run (estimated at 431 feet) to center field. Five batters into the game and the Indians led 4-0.
The Red Sox (1-1) came back in the second inning when Brock Holt answered with a two-run home run off of Indians starter Carlos Carrasco. The Indians got one of those runs back in the bottom half of that inning. Tyler Naquin worked a nine-pitch at-bat and picked up his first career major-league hit, a single to right field. He later scored on Ramirez’s single up the middle to make it 5-2.
Then came the sixth inning, when Carrasco (five innings, four runs, seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts) allowed back-to-back home runs to David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez. Those home runs cut the Indians’ lead to 5-4 and ended Carrasco’s night in favor of left-handed relief pitcher Ross Detwiler.
Chris Young hit a fly ball to left-center field that should have been an easy out, but Ramirez in left field and Naquin in center field didn’t communicate, allowing the ball to fall between them. Two walks then loaded the bases and Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley hit a sacrifice fly to center field to tie it 5-5.
With Zach McAllister on the mound, Mookie Betts hit a ground ball to third baseman Juan Uribe, who might have had Holt out had he looked him back at third base. Uribe made the throw to first base for the second out, but the Red Sox took a 6-5 lead.
Uribe redeemed himself in the bottom half of the sixth. Yan Gomes drew a walk and a single by Marlon Byrd put runners on the corners, and Uribe tied the game 6-6 with a sacrifice fly.
Enter Napoli, who to that point hadn’t collected a hit, in the seventh inning. Facing Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa, Napoli belted a pitch to the bleacher seats in left field for the go-ahead shot.
Bryan Shaw escaped the eighth inning unharmed and Cody Allen picked up his first save of the season in the ninth inning, putting down the heart of the Red Sox order that included a close-call catch by Ramirez near the wall in left field to end the game.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians.
