Red Sox 7, Indians 2
CLEVELAND -- In their first game after the tragedy at the Boston Marathon on Monday, the Boston Red Sox knocked Cleveland starter Ubaldo Jimenez out of the game Tuesday with a seven-run second inning and rolled to a 7-2 victory, their fourth win in a row.
Mike Napoli was 2-for-2 with two doubles and three RBI in the second inning, which included five walks from the struggling Jimenez, who led the American League with 17 losses last year and is 0-2 with a 21.00 ERA in his last two starts.
Boston starter Felix Doubront held Cleveland to two runs in five innings to get his first win of the season.
Doubront needed 104 pitches to get through five innings and retired the side in order in only one of the five innings. However, he was able to keep the damage to a minimum, especially in the fifth inning. Cleveland sent seven batters to the plate in the fifth, as Doubront walked three and gave up two hits. But he surrendered only one run, and that came on a passed ball.
Red Sox relievers Clayton Mortensen and Alex Wilson combined to pitch four scoreless innings.
Cleveland's bullpen was equally effective. Relievers Chad Allen, Nick Hagadone, Rich Hill and Bryan Shaw combined to pitch 7 1/3 scoreless innings; they gave up four hits and struck out 15. Shaw struck out all four batters he faced.
The two teams combined for 25 strikeouts and 15 walks.
The Red Sox wasted little time in jumping on Cleveland starter Ubaldo Jimenez. Boston's seven-run second inning was due mostly to Jimenez's wildness.
The Cleveland right-hander walked five of the nine batters he faced in the inning, during which he threw 44 pitches and got two outs before being removed from the game.
Napoli led off the inning with a double, and Jimenez then walked three of the next four batters, forcing in Napoli with the first run of the game when he walked David Ross. A sacrifice fly by Pedro Ciriaco made it 2-0 and Jacoby Ellsbury followed with an RBI double to push the lead to 3-0.
Jimenez walked the next two batters, the second of those forcing in still another run, and was removed from the game. Napoli then greeted Allen with his second double of the inning, driving in three more runs to make it 7-0.
Jimenez gave up seven runs, two hits and five walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Cleveland scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the second and a run in the fifth on a bases-loaded passed ball.
NOTES: Boston placed closer Joel Hanrahan on the disabled list with a strained hamstring. Andrew Bailey will be the closer while Hanrahan is out. ... The Red Sox recalled knuckleballer Steven Wright from Class AAA Pawtucket. Wright, who was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts at Pawtucket, will be used as a starter with the Red Sox. ... Indians manager Terry Francona said outfielder Michael Bourn will be placed on the disabled list "in the next day or two." Bourn has five stitches in his right index finger after it was stepped on while sliding headfirst into first base in Sunday's game with the Chicago White Sox. ... Indians left-hander Scott Kazmir will be activated from the disabled list and start Saturday night at Houston. Kazmir has been on the DL since the start of the season because of a strained rib cage.
