BOSTON (AP) -The Cleveland Indians’ bullpen finally figured how to stop Boston’s big boppers.
David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez went 1-for-6 against Cleveland’s relievers and the Tribe scored seven runs in the 11th inning early Sunday morning, beating the Red Sox 13-6 in Game 2 of the AL championship series.
In their first 16 postseason plate appearances against the Tribe, Ortiz and Ramirez combined to reach safely 14 times. Ramirez capped the streak with a two-run drive to right-center off reliever Rafael Perez that tied it at 5 in the fifth inning.
That was the last hit of the game for the dynamic duo.
Jensen Lewis got Ortiz to line out in the seventh before Rafael Betancourt entered and struck out Ramirez. Tom Mastny retired Ortiz on a groundout in the 10th and coaxed Ramirez into a harmless popup.
Lewis and Betancourt threw 2 1-3 scoreless innings apiece, Mastny pitched a perfect 10th and Joe Borowski got three outs.
Ortiz and Ramirez teamed up to reach safely in all 10 tries during a 10-3 victory over the Indians in the series opener Friday night, with each getting on base five times.
Ortiz doubled, singled, walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Ramirez singled twice and walked three times. Each scored two runs and Ramirez finished with three RBIs.
Ramirez’s homer off Perez was his 23rd in the postseason, breaking a tie with former Yankees great Bernie Williams for the career mark.
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