Alex Verdugo gave Boston a one-run lead in the sixth inning with a 447-foot three-run home run to right field.
Tanner Houck recorded his sixth save and the Red Sox held on to win 4-2 over the Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday.
Verdugo’s go-ahead homer was the longest he has hit since being traded to Boston. He crushed a 459-foot blast in 2019 with the Dodgers.
It also marked the second longest home run by a Red Sox hitter this season. Franchy Cordero had a 448-foot blast May 29 at Fenway Park.
Jarren Duran put the Red Sox ahead by two runs with an RBI single in the ninth. He went 4-for-5 with a double and two stolen bases.
Winckowski goes 5 innings
Josh Winckowski pitched 5 ⅓ innings, allowing two runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four.
The Guardians scored both runs against Winckowski in the third inning.
Steven Kwan walked with one out. Amed Rosario drove him in with an RBI triple. José Ramírez plated Rosario with a sac fly to right field.
Winckowski threw 36 sinkers, averaging 94 mph and topping out at 96 mph, per Baseball Savant. He also mixed in 29 sliders, five cutters, four changeups and three four-seam fastballs. All five swings-and-misses he recorded came on sliders.
Red Sox squander bases loaded opportunity
The Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning against reliever Trevor Stephan.
Stephan battled back. He got both Xander Bogaerts and Verdugo to ground into force outs, then struck out Trevor Story on three pitches.
Pitching matchup Sunday
The Red Sox and Guardians will wrap up their three-game series with a 1:40 p.m. first pitch Sunday. Red Sox lefty Rich Hill (2-4, 4.42 ERA) will start opposite Cleveland righty Aaron Civale (2-3, 7.25 ERA).
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