Boston’s Nick Pivetta, left, walks back to the mound after giving up an RBI-single to Cleveland’s Myles Straw that scored Will Brennan, 17, during the second inning of a the Red Sox’s 5-2 loss on Friday in Boston. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
BOSTON — Shane Bieber won for just the second time in six starts this season, allowing two runs and four hits over seven innings to lead the Guardians over the Red Sox 5-2 on Friday night.
Bieber (2-1) struck out four and walked two, getting his first victory since April 10. The righthander has made 26 consecutive starts of at least five innings.
“All together, it was a good start,” Bieber said after getting a first-inning lead. “Just trying to ride that wave and momentum and try to eat up innings and was able to do that.”
Cleveland got back to .500 at 13-13, winning consecutive games for the first time since April 14-15. The Guardians are 9-5 on the road.
“Other than hitting last, I don’t know if home and away is that big of a difference, especially early in the season when there’s not a lot of crowds and it’s not all that noisy,” Cleveland Manager Terry Francona said.
All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase gave up Jarren Duran’s leadoff double in the ninth before inducing three straight groundouts for his ninth save in 10 chances.
Duran became the first Boston player to hit three doubles in a game since Rob Refsnyder against Baltimore last Aug. 19. The Red Sox hit five doubles and none of those batters scored as Boston went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and lost for the third time in four games. The Red Sox dropped to 1-7 when not homering.
Pivetta (1-2) gave up four runs and five hits in five innings, his ERA rising to 5.11.
Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly and Bell’s RBI double just over a leaping Duran in front of the Green Monster scoreboard opened a 2-0 first-inning lead.
“I should have had that ball honestly,” Duran said.
Myles Straw hit a run-scoring single in the second and Kiké Hernández’s RBI single cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom half.
Mike Zunino homered into the first row of the Green Monster seats in the fourth. He has 16 homers against Boston, four more than he has hit against any other team.
“He’s got a lot of experience playing in this park against this team and that’s what he can do. That’s why we brought him in here,” Bieber said of his catcher. “Obviously, he calls a great game, but his bat is important to us and will be going forward.”
Alex Verdugo hit a run-scoring groundout in the fifth. Boston had runners at the corners with one out in the eighth when Trevor Stephan struck out Rafael Devers and retired Triston Casas on a groundout.
Will Brennan homered off Kutter Crawford with two outs in the ninth, his second big league home run and first since last Oct. 2 against Kansas City’s Max Castillo.
WELCOME ABOARD
Boston claimed RHP Justin Garza off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester. The 29-year-old has pitched in 21 big league games, all with Cleveland in 2021 when he had a 4.71 ERA with 29 strikeouts. This season, he has made six appearances with Triple-A Salt Lake, allowing four runs and six hits in 8 1/3 innings with a 4.32 ERA.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Guardians: RHP Aaron Civale (left oblique strain) could pitch for Cleveland on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Manager Terry Francona. Civale went on the injured list after making two starts. … Pitching coach Carl Willis rejoined the club after being admitted to a Cleveland hospital earlier this week with lightheadedness.
Red Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock was put on the 15-day injured list because of right elbow ulnar neuritis, a move retroactive to Tuesday. RHP Bryan Bello was recalled from Worcester and is to start Saturday in place of Whitlock. The 26-year-old Whitlock opened the season on the injured list after hip surgery in September, was activated April 11 and went 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three starts. … INF Yu Chang had left hamate excision surgery Thursday and is expected to miss six weeks.
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