Guardians Edge Red Sox in Extra-Inning Thriller

In a riveting extra-inning showdown, José Ramírez delivered a game-winning RBI single in the 11th inning, propelling the Cleveland Guardians to a thrilling 10-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

With the game knotted at 7-7, Ramírez’s clutch hit broke the deadlock, driving in the go-ahead run with no outs and runners on first and second. The Guardians then capitalized on the momentum, scoring two more insurance runs on Estevan Florial’s two-run single, putting the game out of reach for the Red Sox.

The seesaw battle showcased the resilience of both teams, with the Guardians initially holding a 5-1 lead after five innings. However, the Red Sox mounted a furious comeback in the sixth inning, scoring five runs, capped by Rafael Devers’ two-run double, to take a 6-5 lead.

Cleveland refused to back down, tying the game at 6-6 in the ninth inning on Andrés Giménez’s RBI single against Kenley Jansen, who blew his first save of the season.

The Red Sox responded with a sacrifice fly by Connor Wong in the 10th inning, knotting the score at 7-7, but the Guardians’ bats remained relentless in the 11th.

Gabriel Arias had a standout performance for Cleveland, collecting two hits and driving in two runs, while Steven Kwan contributed three hits and scored twice. Tyler Freeman added a home run to the Guardians’ offensive onslaught.

Emmanuel Clase (1-0) secured the win for Cleveland, while Scott Barlow struck out two batters en route to his first save of the season.

“It’s really fun to be a part of the camaraderie, the team. It’s been really fun this year,” Barlow said, reflecting on the Guardians’ gritty victory. “Just the resilience and never backing down. Anything can happen. And that’s kind of like an example of tonight, and it’s really fun.”

For the Red Sox, Wong homered and drove in two runs, while Enmanuel Valdez and Triston Casas also went deep. Despite the loss, Boston manager Alex Cora remained optimistic, saying, “It’s tough. But we’re going to show up tomorrow. We still got two games on this homestand. It’s been a tough one so far. But we come here, we win two games, and then get ready for Pittsburgh (on Friday).”

The Guardians improved to 12-5 on the season and have won nine of their first 11 road games, a remarkable feat they haven’t accomplished since 1948. As the AL Central leaders, Cleveland’s resilience and determination have been on full display, setting the stage for an exciting campaign ahead.