Red Sox Nation 10/7: Rick Porcello Rocked in Cleveland
Rick Porcello was not sharp as the Boston Red Sox fell to the Cleveland Indians 5-4 in Game 1 of the ALDS.
It just wasn’t his night. Red Sox Game 1 starter Rick Porcello started the game off on the right tract, but couldn’t keep the ball in the yard. The 22-game winner and Cy Young candidate gave up three home runs in the third inning on just nine pitches.
Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and Robert Perez all went deep off Porcello in that third inning delivering a knock out punch that Porcello would not recover from.
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In all, the Red Sox ace just didn’t have it. Some of his struggles could’ve been due to too much rest or perhaps the big stage got to him just enough to make the mistakes that ultimately loss the game for Boston. The 4 1/3 innings worked was his shortest outing of the season and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
‘‘That’s never how you want to start off a playoff series,’’ Porcello said. ‘‘It is what it is.’’
Power surge: The Red Sox weren’t really able to get to Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer, but the team did deliver three solo home runs.
Rookie outfield Andrew Benintendi, catcher Sandy Leon and Brock Holt each hit solo blasts. Unfortunately, the rest of the Red Sox lineup were unable to put anything together offensively. Boston was still just within a run of tying the game in the ninth. With a runner on base, second baseman Dustin Pedroia struck out on a checked-swing to end the game.
Marco Hernandez: David Ortiz took a moment to mentor rookie Marco Hernandez. In the eighth inning of a one-run game, Hernandez came in to pinch run for Ortiz. With Hanley Ramirez at the plate, Indians reliever Cody Allen bounced a curveball in front of home plate that ended up rolling slowly back towards the mound.
Despite being waved to third by Ramirez, Hernandez retreaded to second. During the game, Ortiz was seen talking to the youngster. After the game, Big Papi said he was telling the rookie to be more aggressive on the bases.
“We were just talking about baserunning situations, just give him some ideas,” he said via WEEI. “He’s got to be a little more aggressive and be aware of things a little better next time.”
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Big Papi and the Red Sox hope to even the series Friday afternoon as David Price takes the mound against Cleveland Ace Corey Kluber.