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Sports

Brantley, Tribe pound reeling Red Sox

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Boston, MA – Michael Brantley went 4-for-5 with two runs batted in and a run scored as the Cleveland Indians downed the Boston Red Sox, 8-3, in the opener of a four-game set.

Jack Hannahan hit a two-run homer and Jason Kipnis hit a solo home run for the Indians, who had dropped their previous two after winning three straight. Derek Lowe (5-1) gave up two runs on nine hits over six innings to win his third straight decision.

Dustin Pedroia hit a solo home run while Daniel Nava and Mike Aviles each drove in a run for the Red Sox, who have lost three straight and eight of their last nine.

Josh Beckett (2-4), who was under heat for playing golf last week after missing a start with soreness in his right side, didn't make it out of the third inning as he was tagged for seven runs on seven hits for his second straight loss.

"We get 18 off days a year and I think we deserve a little bit of time to ourselves," said Beckett.

Cleveland pushed three runs across in the second as a sacrifice fly from Casey Kotchman was followed by a two-run homer from Hannahan, but the Red Sox got one back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single from Aviles.

The Indians, though, scored four more times in the third. Kipnis led off with his sixth homer of the season. With two on, Shin-Soo Choo belted a double to score one and Brantley followed with a two-bagger to score two for a 7-1 lead.

Boston got one back in the fifth as back-to-back singles from Adrian Gonzalez and Will Middlebrooks were followed by a run-scoring double courtesy of Nava to make it a 7-2 game.

Pedroia's leadoff shot in the seventh made it a four-run game, but Carlos Santana got it back in the ninth with a sacrifice fly.

Nick Hagadone set the Red Sox down in order in the ninth to close out the win.

Game Notes

Cleveland took six of 10 from Boston last season...Boston has lost six straight at Fenway for the first time since April 6-19, 2010...Beckett fell to 4-6 in his career against the Indians...Clay Buchholz pitches for Boston on Friday while Ubaldo Jimenez will toe the mound for Cleveland.