Cleveland-Boston: Borowski Blows Save, Indians Lose 6-4

By Dave Wiley

The Indians went into the ninth inning Monday evening at Progressive Field with a 4-3 lead.  When they got in their cars to go home, they were losers 6-4.

Borowski, entering the game for the save in the top of the ninth, grooved his first pitch to Manny Ramirez, and Ramirez took it deep for a 6-4 lead.  This after an ninth inning double by Julio Lugo, a sacrifice bunt by Cocoa Crisp that moved Lugo to third, and a sac fly by Pedroia that tied the game at four all.  Elisbury was on second when Manny’s homer cleared the fences.  Borowski finally got yanked after Youkilis pounded him for a double.  Perez replaced Borowski for the final out.  Unfortunately it was too late.

After a shaky first inning, Jake Westbrook pitched well for the Indians, giving up seven hits and two runs, one of them unearned in six and a third innings. 

In the first, a walk to Pedroia with one out cost the Indians a run.  David Ortiz singled Pedroia to second, and after a Manny Ramirez strikeout for the second out, Kevin Youklis doubled to right, scoring Pedroia.  Westbrook then walked J.D. Drew, loading the bases, but got the third out on a Varitek ground out come-backer to the pitcher to end the threat.  After the first, Westbrook settled down, not getting into much in the way of trouble through six. 

The Indians threatened in the first after Grady Sizemore walked and reached third with two outs, but Victor Martinez grounded out, leaving Sizemore stranded.

The offense finally broke through for two in the fourth.  Cabrera walked on four straight, moving to third on a Travis Hafner single to right.  Martinez singled, driving in Cabrera and moving Hafner to second.  Johnny Peralta struck out for the first out of the inning, then Ryan Garko drove home Hafner with the third single of the inning.  Michaels and Gutierrez both flied out, leaving two stranded.

The bottom of the fifth saw the Tribe push across two more, both runs courtesy of the walk, as Blake and Sizemore both walked to start the inning.   Cabrera sacrificed both runners over.  Travis Hafner delivered a one out single, bringing in both runners.  After a single by Martinez and a walk to Peralta, Boston starter Jon Lester took a seat on the bench, and ex-Indian Julian Tavarez came on and struck out both Garko and a pinch hitting David Dellucci, holding Cleveland to a 4-2 lead when, with one out, it should have been much more. 

Westbrook finally tired in the seventh, only getting one out while leaving runners on first and second.  This after Boston had pushed an unearned run across the plate, making it 4-2.  Rafael Betancourt left Westbrook in position for the win by striking out the next two batters and holding the lead.

The eighth pulled Boston to within one.  Youkilis hit a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall, then Betancourt buckled down to preserve the one run lead.

After the three run ninth, Boston closer Jonathon Papelbon showed Tribe fans what a real closer looks like, striking out two batters and getting Hafner to fly out.  Mike Timlin, who came on in the eight for Boston, got the victory.  Papelbon earned the save, while Borowski earned is second loss in his last two outings.

The best the Indians can hope for is a split of this short two game series, when action resumes Tuesday night at 7:05.  Paul Byrd goes for the Tribe versus knuckleballer Tim Wakefield for the Sox.