CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Story drove in two runs to reach 500 career RBIs, Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez each had three hits and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Guardians 8-3 on Sunday for a three-game sweep that extended their winning streak to seven.
Boston had 15 hits and drew 11 walks, its highest total since May 2019. The Red Sox have won 11 of 13 and are 19-4 in June, improving to a season-high 11 games over .500 at 42-31.
“It’s not easy to do,” Boston manager Alex Cora said of the sweep. “We’re good and we have to keep working for what we want to accomplish.”
After winning tight games Friday and Saturday, Cora liked the way his team maintained pressure for nine innings.
“It’s important,” he said. “It’s night and day to the group. Early in the season we were swinging at bad pitches, not walking, striking out a lot, not hitting the ball hard. Now it’s the total opposite.”
Cleveland has lost four straight since a 7-2 trip and hosts AL Central-leading Minnesota in a five-game series starting Monday. The Twins arrive with a two-game division lead.
Rich Hill (4-4) allowed one run, five hits and four walks in six innings, getting double plays in the first, third and fourth.
“The double play saved us today,” Hill said. “Overall we played great. Great defense. Obviously we did our job at the plate, swinging the bats. The bullpen came in and did a great job.”
Story, signed to a $140 million, six-year contract before the season, hit a two-run single in the sixth for a 5-0 lead.
Christian Vázquez had an RBI double in the fourth and Rafael Devers added a run-scoring double in the seventh.
A throwing error by second baseman Andrés Giménez scored a run in the third and a low throw by Giménez on a potential…