Series up for grabs in BoSox-Tribe finale

Brett Lillibridge made his old team pay on Saturday night.

Lillibridge went 3-fo-4 with a homer and two RBI as the Cleveland Indians evened their series over the Boston Red Sox, winning 5-2.

"It's been a rough year, so it felt really good to contribute," Lillibridge said, who was traded from Chicago to Boston to Cleveland in less than a month's time.

"He was huge," Indians manager Manny Acta added. "He's very versatile and did a lot tonight."

The Tribe also got a big lift from Zach McAllister (5-4), who allowed just three hits and two earned runs over eight innings of work, striking out four and walking none.

Chris Perez worked a scoreless ninth innings for his 31st save.

For Boston, Franklin Morales (3-3) lasted just 5 1/3 innings, and though he allowed just two hits, he walked four and surrendered three earn runs.

Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run double in the fourth inning, which gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead, but that was all the offense was able to muster up for the Red Sox. who have lost eight of their last 11 games.

The Indians, meanwhile, have won three of four coming off an 11-game losing streak.

In the rubber match on Sunday afternoon, Jon Lester will try for his first win since June 27. He's in the midst of the worst season of his bright young career with a 5-10 record and an ERA of 5.36.

The southpaw's struggles continued in his last outing on Aug. 7. Though he went into the sixth inning having allowed zero runs, he ended up giving up six hits, two walks, and four earned runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 6-3 loss to Texas. It was his fifth loss in his last six starts and he's now given up four earned runs or more in 11 of his 23 starts this season.

"I can't keep talking about being frustrated and all this stuff," Lester said following his last start. "But there's positives for me personally in this game that I'm going to take and go forward to the next one."

Luckily for the Red Sox, Lester has been much better on the road this season with a 3.34 ERA (6.83 ERA at Fenway Park).

For the Indians, Corey Kluber will make his third career start.

After allowing nine hits and six earned runs over 4 1/3 innings against the Royals on Aug. 2, he pitched six strong innings against the Twins on Aug. 7, allowing one earned and six hits.

Kluber, a former fourth-round pick of the Padres, has yet to record a decision in any of his five appearances dating back to last season.

Boston took three of four from the Tribe earlier in the year and has beaten them in six of the last 10 meetings.