The Red Sox scrambled to shower, pack their bags and get to the airport.
After three long days, and one very long night, they couldn’t get out of Cleveland quickly enough.
Asdrubal Cabrera’s three-run homer with one out in the 12th inning off Edward Mujica gave the Indians a 7-4 victory over Boston and a three-game sweep of the streaky defending World Series champions.
The Red Sox came to town riding a seven-game winning streak. They left headed in the wrong direction after losing a one-run game, a two-run game and one in extra innings that took nearly seven hours to play.
It’s a puzzling pattern for the Red Sox, who lost 10 in a row last month.
“It’s been uncharacteristic based on the last couple of years,” Boston manager John Farrell said, “and that’s got some frustration there for us.”
With two runners on and Boston playing five infielders and two outfielders, Cabrera made the shift moot by driving an 0-1 pitch from Mujica (2-2) into Boston’s bullpen as the Indians won their sixth straight overall and ninth in a row at home. Cleveland is an AL-best 21-11 at Progressive Field.
“That pitch was a big mistake and he hit it out,” Mujica said. “I left it over the plate. It was a little crazy, but we had to keep it going however we could.”
Cabrera slid into home plate after his fifth homer and was doused with water by his teammates, who were relieved to finally end a game that didn’t finish until 2:02 a.m. EDT.
The start of the game, originally set for 7:05 p.m., was delayed by rain until 9:33 p.m., canceling a scheduled ceremonial first pitch by Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel, who flashed his signature “money” gesture when he and his teammates were introduced to the crowd.
With practice on Thursday, Manziel ducked out early and wasn’t around when the game ended with just a few thousand die-hard fans in the seats.
The teams each used seven pitchers, who combined to throw 364 pitches.
“Regardless of the time, anytime you go 12 innings, losses sting a little bit,” Farrell said. “We were doing everything we could to extend the ballgame. Guys came out of the bullpen and did a good job. Cabrera just got hold of a breaking ball and put an end to this one.”
Carlos Carrasco (1-3), the Indians’ seventh pitcher, worked two innings.
The surging Indians have trimmed seven games off first-place Detroit’s lead in the AL Central in 17 days. Cleveland is within 3 1/2 games and back to .500 for the first time since April 24.
David Ortiz hit career homer No. 444 but it wasn’t nearly enough for the Red Sox, who had to rush to use their charter plane so they didn’t have to go Detroit by bus.
Trailing 4-2, the Red Sox tied it in the seventh inning when they chased Indians starter Corey Kluber on Brock Holt’s two-run single.
Kluber, who was so dominant in May going 4-0 with 60 strikeouts in 43 innings, walked Stephen Drew to start the seventh and Daniel Nava singled. Jackie Bradley Jr. sacrificed and Holt followed with his game-tying base hit to center.
Kluber got a no-decision and remained unbeaten in seven starts since April. He allowed four runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Michael Brantley had three hits off Boston starter Brandon Workman, who pitched while appealing a six-game suspension for throwing at Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria last week. Workman gave up three runs in five innings.
Ortiz’s 13th homer gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the sixth.
Kluber blanked Boston over the first five innings but opened the sixth by hitting Xander Bogaerts in the right elbow. The right-hander retired Dustin Pedroia on a hard liner to right, but wasn’t so fortunate with Ortiz, who ripped a fastball over the fence in right-center — a 422-foot shot — to give the Red Sox their first lead of the series.
It didn’t last long.
The Indians scored three runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Jason Kipnis and another clutch hit by David Murphy, who is batting .383 (18 of 47) with 31 RBIs with runners in scoring position.
“They’ve got a couple of big hits the last couple of nights,” said Red sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who was ejected in the sixth by plate umpire Quinn Wolcott. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”