Red Sox road success continues with series win over Cleveland Guardians

Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald on May 31, 2026

Published in Baseball

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Sunday was déjà vu all over again for the Boston Red Sox, who for the second day in a row credited a win over the Cleveland Guardians to a late six-run inning and Jarren Duran home run.

Sunday’s 9-4 finale win was more tug-o-war than Saturday’s 9-1 victory, though. The Sox only out-hit their hosts 12-11, and Cleveland overtook their guests in the second and fifth innings before Boston ran away with the game for good.

The Red Sox were on top in an instant when Duran led off the game with his tenth home run of the year. They’re 19-9 when they score first, compared to 6-24 when opponents score first.

“Heck of a month,” interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters of Duran, whose nine May homers were not only a career-high for a calendar month, but the most by a Red Sox player in a calendar month since Rafael Devers hit 10 in April 2023.

Right-hander Tanner Bibee largely escaped damage in his six innings. After a single by No. 2 hitter Mickey Gasper, the Guardians starter retired 12 of the next 13 batters, including the first six. Bibee allowed three earned runs on six hits, one walk, and struck out five on 90 pitches (62 for strikes).

Ranger Suarez matched his season-high 10 strikeouts, but also struggled through an inconsistent five innings in which he twice loaded the bases and gave away the lead. The Sox southpaw allowed four earned runs on eight hits and walked two, on 93 pitches (58 strikes). It marked the just the sixth time a Red Sox starter allowed more than three earned runs in their last 28 games dating back to April 25.

Suarez set the Guardians down in order in the bottom of the first. It proved his only clean inning. Cleveland took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, after loading the bases with no outs on designated hitter Rhys Hoskins’ leadoff walk, a double by left-fielder David Fry, and first baseman Kyle Manzardo’s hit-by-pitch. Suarez gave up a go-ahead two-run single to catcher Austin Hedges before shortstop Brayan Rocchio grounded into an inning-ending double play.

But things truly unraveled in Suarez’s fifth and final frame, thanks in no small part to left-fielder Masataka Yoshida losing what should have been a routine flyout. The Red Sox retook the lead in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Gasper and RBI single by Wilyer Abreu, but when the inning turned over Yoshida appeared to have no idea where José Ramírez’s high-fly was headed. The ball dropped down several feet behind a scrambling Yoshida, and the Cleveland star landed on second with a game-tying RBI double.

“It’s tough, ‘cuz you can’t catch what you can’t see,” interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters of Yoshida’s misplay. “It stinks, but it happens.”

Suarez needed 32 pitches to finish the fifth. Chase DeLauter drove in Ramírez with a go-ahead RBI single, and advanced to third on Hoskins’ double. Suarez walked Fry to load the bases, but dug deep and struck out Manzardo and Stuart Fairchild, who lost an ABS challenge in the process.

Yoshida redeemed himself two innings later, his go-ahead two-run single the centerpiece of a six-run seventh. Marcelo Mayer was the first and third out of the 10-batter go-round. Boston loaded the bases against Cleveland relievers Colin Holderman, who issued a one-out walk to Connor Wong and gave up a single to Carlos Narváez, and Tim Herrin, who walked Duran. Herrin struck out Mickey Gasper before walking Abreu to force in a run.

Herrin’s final pitch to Abreu may have been a ball, but the Guardians were powerless to check, having lost their second ABS challenge the previous inning. Yoshida lined a single to center to score Narváez and Duran. Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s single brought Abreu home, and Caleb Durbin’s first triple of the season drove in Yoshida and Kiner-Falefa.

Jovani Morán, Tyron Guerrero and Greg Weissert combined for three scoreless innings before Aroldis Chapman took the mound for the bottom of the ninth. The Red Sox planned to send the veteran closer to the mound on Sunday regardless of the score, as he hadn’t pitched since May 20. DeLauter singled with one out, but Chapman got Hoskins and Fry swinging to complete the series win.

The Red Sox finished May 13-14, a slighter higher note than their 11-15 April record, though this weekend marked just their second series win of the month. They are 25-33 on season.

Now the Red Sox must reverse their fortunes at home. They are 16-14 on the road, but an MLB-worst 9-19 at home, and after Monday’s off-day will play nine of their next 15 games at Fenway Park.

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