Crawford Goes 4-for-4, Red Sox Beat Up On Indians 14-2
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jon Lester coasted to his AL-leading seventh win and the Boston Red Sox bludgeoned Cleveland's Mitch Talbot for seven runs in the first inning on their way to a 14-2 win on Wednesday that was the Indians' most lopsided loss this season.
Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer in Boston's eruption in the first off Talbot (1-1), who was making his first start since April 11.
Carl Crawford went 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles, Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a three-run homer and David Ortiz added an estimated 431-foot solo shot that looked even farther as the Red Sox won the series finale and took two of three from baseball's top team.
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Lester (7-1) allowed three hits in six shutout innings and won his seventh straight decision. It was a very different start than his previous one in Cleveland on April 7, when he pitched seven shutout innings and got a no-decision in Boston's 1-0 loss.
Even with all the run support, Lester didn't take anything for granted. He was locked in from the get-go.
Lester gave up a pair of singles in the first before retiring 15 straight. Asdrubal Cabrera finally got to the left-hander for two-out double in the sixth. But after walking Shin-Soo Choo, Lester retired Shelley Duncan on an easy tapper to end the Indians' only scoring chance against him.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Drew Sutton had three hits apiece as the Red Sox got a season-high 20 hits without their best lineup.
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Sutton replaced third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who sat out with a sore left hand. Outfielder J.D. Drew also sat, resting a strained hamstring he sustained running down a foul ball on Tuesday.
Choo had two errors in right field for the Indians, who were bound to have a bad game after weeks of playing sound ball in an otherwise splendid season.
This was bad -- and beyond.
Talbot was activated from the 15-day disabled list to start the series finale, and the loaded Red Sox were hardly the ideal team for him to come back against.
Boston unloaded on Talbot for eight runs and 12 hits in three hard-to-watch innings for most of the 26,408 fans. The right-hander had been sidelined since April 17 with a strained elbow. By the time Boston was done bashing him, his ERA was battered, his confidence bruised.
The Red Sox sent 12 batters to the plate in the first and scoring seven runs on nine hits -- all but one of them hit on the nose.
Pedroia, who was given the night off on Tuesday, homered and drove in three runs and Ellsbury singled and scored twice in the first-inning outburst, when the Red Sox gave Lester enough cushion for three games.
Pedroia followed a leadoff single by Ellsbury with his third homer, a shot deep into the left-field bleachers that set the tone.
Crawford, Mike Cameron and Drew Sutton drove in runs, another scored on Choo's first error and Pedroia capped the inning with an RBI single.
As Talbot got rocked, Cleveland's bullpen remained quiet as manager Manny Acta decided to let his starter take a few lumps rather than waste a reliever. Acta figured he might as well let Talbot get his work in, turning the forgettablle outing into a glorified spring training appearance.
The Red Sox added five in the sixth, highlighted by Ortiz's blast to right field that nearly reached the second deck in Progressive Field.
The Indians averted their first shutout at home in the eighth on Duncan's two-out, two-run double.
Notes: Talbot's ERA ballooned from 1.46 to 5.87. ... Indians CF Grady Sizemore ran the bases twice before the game, in what was supposed to be his final test before possibly being activated and coming off the disabled list. Sizemore has been out since last week with a bruised kneecap he injured sliding. He's eligible to come off the DL on Thursday. ... Red Sox RHP Bobby Jenks (strained biceps) threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session. He's scheduled to pitch a simulated game Friday in Detroit and will likely make a minor league rehab appearance before being activated. Jenks has been on the disabled list since May 5. ... One of Cleveland's only bright spots was LF Austin Kearns' backhanded diving catch in the third to rob Pedroia.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
