David Price struggles, Indians take 2-0 ALDS lead
CLEVELAND – Breaking down Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox from Progressive Field:
Indians 6, Red Sox 0, Cleveland leads the series 2-0
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The Final: Unlike Game 1, this was no close victory barely scratched out by the Indians. No, in Game 2, Cleveland was dominant and miles better than the visitors from Boston. Corey Kluber, their bona fide No. 1 starter, oppressed the famously high-scoring Red Sox over seven innings. David Price, fully aware of his rotten postseason history, could barely help and stop the bleeding. He allowed four runs in the second and five overall in 3 ⅓ innings. His playoff ERA as a starter now sits at 5.59.
The Indians’ lineup got to him early. They strung together four consecutive hits in the second, with singles by Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez, and Brandon Guyer, and finally a three-run home run by Lonnie Chisenhall. And if there was more evidence that Price was flustered, he walked Roberto Perez, the no. 9 hitter, next.
It wasn’t a rout yet but it had the feel of one and it leaves the Red Sox not only stumbling but fallen as they head back to Boston trying to keep their season alive.
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State of the Series: The Red Sox are now on the edge of elimination and perilously close to giving David Ortiz an unceremonious exit. Their pitching, not vaunted, but also strong with a possible Cy Young award winner and a former one starting their first two games this series, has faltered. Their offense has hardly picked them up and certainly not hit as well as the highest-scoring team in baseball might be expected to.
If there is a consolation for Boston it’s that they’ll face right-hander Josh Tomlin, who had a 4.40 ERA and an even worse 4.88 FIP this season, in Game 3. And they’ll be going back to Fenway Park. Will the creature comforts and a shoddy opposing pitcher be enough to save them? It doesn’t help that Clay Buchholz and his 4.78 ERA will be on the mound.
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Man of the Moment: If this game had an anti-hero, it would be Price. But it’s his counterpart, Kluber, who gets named the star today. Pitching for the first time in 10 days, Kluber shut down the Red Sox, allowing a big lead to bubble up in support of him.
Kluber pitched like the ace and former Cy Young award winner he is and Price could not be. Over seven innings, Kluber allowed just three hits and struck out seven. He wriggled out sticky situations and shut down down too many of them from arising to begin with. And he gave that Indians bullpen the light day it needed after stringing together 4 ⅓ innings Thursday.
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Needing a Mulligan: There’s probably a few that the Red Sox would like to have back. Maybe it’s Price’s 95 mph fastball to Chisenhall in the second. Or the eight at-bats between David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez that yielded no hits. But it’s probably the ground ball that went between Dustin Pedroia’s legs in the sixth inning.
With a runner on first and one out, a meek ground ball from Perez went under Pedroia’s glove and the Indians added another run with the next batter, when Rajai Davis hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Guyer.
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Game 2 pivot point: The second inning. Over four at-bats, the game changed and there was no coming back.
A single by Carlos Santana. A single by Jose Ramirez. An RBI single by Brandon Guyer. A home run by Chisenhall.
That’s all it took.
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Manager’s Special: There was no genius managerial decision to be made here. After Francona set his lineup, he could sit back and watch, while John Farrell could likely only shield his eyes.
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LeBron hypes up Cleveland Indians fans: 'It's always us against the world!'
What You Missed On TV: How about LeBron James and some of his Cavaliers teammates coming out before the game and hyping up the crowd. They did the job. The fans at Progressive Field turned the stadium into a hornets’ nest. And when LeBron, J.R. Smith and co. popped up again in the sixth inning on the giant video board, drinks in hand, they went agog again too.
GALLERY: INDIANS TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD
