In the coldest season-opening game in recorded franchise history, the Indians and ace Corey Kluber fell to the Boston Red Sox 6-2 on Tuesday afternoon.
The game was originally scheduled for Monday, but the low temperatures and icy conditions forced a postponement. The weather on Tuesday was dry but not much warmer, as the 34-degree weather at first pitch bested the 36-degree first-pitch temperature in 1907.
The Red Sox (1-0) struck first. In the top of the third and with a runner on first, Mookie Betts drove a Kluber offering into the bleacher seats in left field for a two-run home run.
The Indians (0-1) responded in the bottom of the fourth against Red Sox ace David Price. Singles by Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana set up Yan Gomes, who just got a ground ball through the infield for an RBI-single. Aided by Santana advancing to third on Gomes’ single, Marlon Byrd tied the score 2-2 with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Red Sox knocked Kluber around in the sixth with three straight inning-opening singles. The last, by Brock Holt, gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. A wild pitch then allowed an insurance run to score.
In the ninth, Trevor Bauer entered the game out of the bullpen and struggled. Bauer walked the first batter he faced and then allowed a two-run home run to David Ortiz, making it 6-2. Hanley Ramirez nearly went back-to-back with Ortiz but missed a home run by a few feet. Bauer eventually got out of the inning with no further damage.
But, after the two-run fourth, the Indians’ offense struggled to give Kluber much support, harkening back to a recurring problem in 2015. In all, Red Sox pitchers recorded 15 strikeouts, 10 of them coming from Price.
Kluber threw 5 1/3 innings, allowed four runs on nine hits and struck out five in his 2016 season debut.
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Indians fall to Red Sox 6-2 on Opening Day
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