Puerto Ricans Francisco Lindor and Roberto Pérez, and Jason Kipnis hit home runs in the third inning off Rick Porcello, and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox 5×4 in the first game of the American League Division Series.
The Indians took advantage of the venue to win the first game of a five-game series, whose second game will be this Friday at the same stadium in Cleveland.
Porcello, who won 22 games in the regular season, had his shortest start of the year, allowing six hits and five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Trevor Bauer started for Cleveland but was off the mark and after allowing six hits and three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, he was relieved by Andrew Miller, who pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Porcello left the game in the fifth inning, but left-hander Miller struck out David Ortiz with two runners on.
The game was tied 2-2, after Boston took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning thanks to Andrew Benitendi’s home run, until in the closing of that inning the Indian bats exploded.
Puerto Rican catcher Roberto Pérez opened the episode with the first home run off Porcello, and after one out, Kipnis and Lindor hit solo home runs to put the tribe ahead 4-2.
Boston pulled within 5-4 in the eighth on Brock Holt’s home run in the eighth.
The Red Sox threatened to put a man in circulation with two out, but Cody Allen struck out Dustin Pedroia for the save.
In another American League playoff game, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 10×1 with good pitching by Mexican Marco Estrada and a home run by Dominican José Bautista.
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