Boston, MA – Felix Doubront tossed six innings while Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored as the Boston Red Sox downed the Cleveland Indians, 4-1, in the third game of a four-game set.
Doubront (3-1) gave up just one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts for the Red Sox, who have won their past two. Cody Ross clubbed a solo home run, Mike Aviles added an RBI and a run scored and David Ortiz drove in the other run.
"I thought, once again, Felix Doubront was terrific," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "He did what he had to do to get us in a winning position."
Jason Kipnis drove in the lone run for the Indians, who have lost four of their last five games. Zach McAllister (1-1) was charged with four runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings to take the loss.
The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Aviles led off the frame with a single and later scored when Pedroia blasted a double high off the Green Monster. Ortiz followed with a double to score Pedroia.
Boston added to its lead in the fourth. Daniel Nava led off with a single and moved to third on a ground-rule double from Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Aviles followed with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
The Indians finally got to Doubront in the sixth inning. Lou Marson doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a Michael Brantley groundout. Kipnis then hit a grounder to first and reached base safely as no one was there to cover the bag, scoring Marson to make it a 3-1 game.
Ross got the run back in the sixth, though, as he blasted a solo shot clear out of the stadium to left field for a 4-1 advantage.
Andrew Miller set the Indians down in order in the seventh while Vicente Padilla did the same in the eighth.
Alfredo Aceves needed just 10 pitches in the ninth for his seventh saves as the Indians went quietly.
Game Notes
Pedroia has a 13-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the majors. He is batting 20-for-56 during the run with two homers and 11 RBI...McAllister made the start in place of Josh Tomlin, who was scratched from the lineup earlier in the day with a sore right wrist and placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 8.
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