In a thrilling encounter at Progressive Field on Tuesday night, the Cleveland Guardians secured a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox, extending their winning streak to an impressive five games. The victory marked another milestone in the Guardians’ stellar start to the 2023 season, pushing their record to a major league-leading 17-6.
Tanner Houck, who had thrown a three-hit shutout against the Guardians just last week, was once again in dominant form for the Red Sox. However, the Guardians’ offense managed to break through in the seventh inning, with Tyler Freeman and Bryan Rocchio driving in runs to put Cleveland on the board. José Ramírez added to the lead with a solo homer in the eighth inning, effectively putting the game out of reach for Boston.
Ben Lively, making his debut at Progressive Field, turned in a solid performance for the Guardians, allowing only one run over 6 1/3 innings. His impressive outing was complemented by a dominant bullpen effort, with Scott Barlow, Hunter Gaddis, and Emmanuel Clase combining to shut down the Red Sox offense.
The Guardians’ victory was particularly impressive considering the strong start by Houck. Manager Stephen Vogt had hoped for at least one mistake from the Red Sox pitcher, but it took until the seventh inning for the Guardians to capitalize. Freeman’s RBI single broke up the scoreless streak and set the stage for Rocchio’s sacrifice fly, giving the Guardians a 2-0 lead. Ramírez’s home run in the eighth inning further extended the lead and sealed the victory.
With the win, the Guardians matched their best start through 23 games since 1999. They will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday when Carlos Carrasco takes the mound against the Red Sox. Boston, on the other hand, will aim to snap their three-game losing streak and avoid falling further behind in the American League East standings.
