BOSTON — The Cleveland Indians were already having enough trouble against Joe Kelly without the plays the Boston Red Sox were making to keep his no-hitter going.
Kelly pitched no-hit ball for 6 2/3 innings, Boston’s fielders made four solid defensive plays and the Red Sox beat the Indians 9-1 on Saturday.
Jason Kipnis was robbed twice on grounders, once each by second baseman Dustin Pedroia and first baseman Hanley Ramirez. Kelly added to it himself, backhanding a grounder and firing home for an inning-ending force at home and centre fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. made a diving catch.
Juan Uribe finally broke up the bid with a double to the right-centre gap in the seventh.
Carlos Santana homered for the Indians, who had won a season-best five in a row.
"Squared up a few balls, but they made plays defensively," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Pedroia made a couple at second, Bradley in centre, and we were never really able to get anything going."
Trevor Bauer (3-2) gave up four runs in five-plus innings.
"I threw the ball really well," he said. "They looped a lot of balls in, they didn’t hit them hard and it was one of those days."
Mookie Betts had a grand slam and a solo homer, Bradley extended his majors’ best hitting streak to 26 games with an infield single. Dom DiMaggio owns the Red Sox record with a 34-game string in 1949.
Kelly (2-0) came off the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day after being out with a right shoulder impingement since April 20. Manager John Farrell immediately pulled him at 104 pitches. Kelly left to a long loud ovation.
Both of Betts’ homers went into the first row of Green Monster seats. His slam made it 9-0 in the seventh, and solo shot came in the fourth.
Boston has homered in a club-record 21 straight games.
Relying mostly on fastballs in the mid-to-upper 90s mph with an occasional curveball and slider, Kelly struck out seven and walked three.
Junichi Tazawa went 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Heath Hembree got the final three outs in the combined two-hitter.
Bradley made a diving catch of Marlon Byrd’s line drive a pitch before Uribe’s hit.
Bradley reached after second baseman Kipnis made a diving stab on his grounder up the middle and threw high to first, taking Santana off the bag.
The Red Sox jumped ahead 3-0 in the third. Xander Bogaerts had an RBI single before Ramirez’s two-run single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: Francona said RHP Cody Anderson will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus and start the second game of a doubleheader Monday against the White Sox.
Red Sox: RHP Carson Smith (right elbow soreness) is expected to be examined by Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek. … Utility player Brock Holt (seven-day concussion DL) is planning to see Dr. Michael Collins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. … LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (right knee since spring training) is now wearing a brace and scheduled for a rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Pawtucket. … C Ryan Hanigan left with a bruised left hand after getting hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative.
SCORELESS STRING OVER
The Indians hadn’t scored in 14 innings before Santana’s homer with two outs in the ninth.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (4-2, 1.80 ERA) is set for the series finale Sunday. He gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings in his last start, a win over Cincinnati.
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (6-2, 3.51) is coming off his worst start of the season when he gave up five runs in five innings in a loss at Kansas City.
