Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians mlb live streaming online baseball broadcast video feed Espn streamed Gamecast April 7, 2011 With the home opener against their archrival looming, the last thing the Boston Red Sox want is to still be in search of their first win this season.
Hoping for a better outing from Jon Lester, the Red Sox look to avoid starting 0-6 for the first time since 1945 when they conclude a three-game set with the surging Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
After missing the postseason in 2010, Boston quickly became a popular World Series pick with the offseason additions of slugger Adrian Gonzalez and speedy Carl Crawford. However, the Red Sox have looked like anything but title contenders while batting .190 and boasting an 8.33 ERA so far.
If the Red Sox are to eventually reach the postseason in 2011, they will join the 1974 Pirates and 1995 Reds as the only clubs to make the playoffs after starting 0-5. No team has made the World Series after losing their first five games.
12:05 PM ET, April 7, 2011
Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Gameday Lineups
NO. Boston Cleveland
1. J. Ellsbury, CF O. Cabrera, 2B
2. C. Crawford, LF A. Cabrera, SS
3. D. Pedroia, 2B S. Choo, RF
4. A. Gonzalez, 1B C. Santana, C
5. K. Youkilis, 3B S. Duncan, DH
6. D. Ortiz, DH A. Kearns, LF
7. J. Drew, RF M. LaPorta, 1B
8. J. Saltalamacchia, C T. Buck, CF
9. M. Scutaro, SS A. Everett, 3B
"This game will humble you in a hurry and it's doing that to us right now," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We've got to start acting like a good team. We've got to find a way to win a game."
With the New York Yankees in town for Friday's opener at Fenway Park, Boston hopes to get back on track after falling 8-4 to the Indians on Wednesday. Boston has not been swept in a series by Cleveland (3-2) since Aug. 28-30, 2001.
"We can't get caught up with all their potential Hall of Famers and payroll," Indians outfielder Travis Buck said. "We just go out and play the game. You're playing against the baseball anyway."
Gonzalez had two hits, including his first homer, and Crawford also added two hits. However, a four-run Indians' sixth inning helped send Boston to its worst start in 15 years.
While Gonzalez is batting .350 with five RBIs, Crawford is 4 for 19 with six strikeouts.
Coming off a career-high 19-win season in 2010, Lester has also struggled early. He gave up five runs and six hits, including three homers, in 5 1/3 innings Friday, but he didn't get a decision in a 9-5 opening-day loss at Texas.
Lester, who led the AL with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 2010, did not strike anyone out for only the second time in his career.
The left-hander is 3-1 with a 4.53 ERA in eight starts versus the Indians, but 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA his last two against them.
Fausto Carmona also looks to bounce back from a rough opening day for Cleveland. He gave up 10 runs and 11 hits in three innings of a 15-10 loss to Chicago on Friday.
"He's a sinkerball pitcher. When the sinker is up, it gets hit," manager Manny Acta said. "It's too early to make excuses. He's our number one guy and he just didn't have it."
The right-hander has looked good while going 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA despite receiving an average of 2.61 runs of support in three home starts versus Boston.
After giving up 23 runs in two straight losses to the White Sox, Cleveland's pitchers have yielded just six during the current three-game winning streak.
Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is 3 for 8 in the series after he homered and drove in four runs Wednesday. Though third baseman Jack Hannahan was 0 for 2, he's batting .313 this season, and is 6 for 12 against Lester.
Hoping for a better outing from Jon Lester, the Red Sox look to avoid starting 0-6 for the first time since 1945 when they conclude a three-game set with the surging Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
After missing the postseason in 2010, Boston quickly became a popular World Series pick with the offseason additions of slugger Adrian Gonzalez and speedy Carl Crawford. However, the Red Sox have looked like anything but title contenders while batting .190 and boasting an 8.33 ERA so far.
If the Red Sox are to eventually reach the postseason in 2011, they will join the 1974 Pirates and 1995 Reds as the only clubs to make the playoffs after starting 0-5. No team has made the World Series after losing their first five games.
12:05 PM ET, April 7, 2011
Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
NO. Boston Cleveland
1. J. Ellsbury, CF O. Cabrera, 2B
2. C. Crawford, LF A. Cabrera, SS
3. D. Pedroia, 2B S. Choo, RF
4. A. Gonzalez, 1B C. Santana, C
5. K. Youkilis, 3B S. Duncan, DH
6. D. Ortiz, DH A. Kearns, LF
7. J. Drew, RF M. LaPorta, 1B
8. J. Saltalamacchia, C T. Buck, CF
9. M. Scutaro, SS A. Everett, 3B
"This game will humble you in a hurry and it's doing that to us right now," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "We've got to start acting like a good team. We've got to find a way to win a game."
With the New York Yankees in town for Friday's opener at Fenway Park, Boston hopes to get back on track after falling 8-4 to the Indians on Wednesday. Boston has not been swept in a series by Cleveland (3-2) since Aug. 28-30, 2001.
"We can't get caught up with all their potential Hall of Famers and payroll," Indians outfielder Travis Buck said. "We just go out and play the game. You're playing against the baseball anyway."
Gonzalez had two hits, including his first homer, and Crawford also added two hits. However, a four-run Indians' sixth inning helped send Boston to its worst start in 15 years.
While Gonzalez is batting .350 with five RBIs, Crawford is 4 for 19 with six strikeouts.
Coming off a career-high 19-win season in 2010, Lester has also struggled early. He gave up five runs and six hits, including three homers, in 5 1/3 innings Friday, but he didn't get a decision in a 9-5 opening-day loss at Texas.
Lester, who led the AL with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 2010, did not strike anyone out for only the second time in his career.
The left-hander is 3-1 with a 4.53 ERA in eight starts versus the Indians, but 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA his last two against them.
Fausto Carmona also looks to bounce back from a rough opening day for Cleveland. He gave up 10 runs and 11 hits in three innings of a 15-10 loss to Chicago on Friday.
"He's a sinkerball pitcher. When the sinker is up, it gets hit," manager Manny Acta said. "It's too early to make excuses. He's our number one guy and he just didn't have it."
The right-hander has looked good while going 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA despite receiving an average of 2.61 runs of support in three home starts versus Boston.
After giving up 23 runs in two straight losses to the White Sox, Cleveland's pitchers have yielded just six during the current three-game winning streak.
Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is 3 for 8 in the series after he homered and drove in four runs Wednesday. Though third baseman Jack Hannahan was 0 for 2, he's batting .313 this season, and is 6 for 12 against Lester.
