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CLEVELAND -- Jay Bruce and Francisco Lindor homered, Yandy Diaz had four hits, and the Cleveland Indians continued their domination of Chris Sale with a 13-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night at Progressive Field. Giovanny Urshela added a career-high four RBIs as Cleveland unleashed an 18-hit attack in a game started by Sale, the leading candidate for the American League Cy Young Award.
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Two American League division leaders split their four-game series.
In his shortest outing of the season by far, Sale (14-6) pitched three innings, giving up seven runs, six earned, on seven hits. He walked three and struck out three as his career record against Cleveland fell to 5-8 with a 4.78 ERA.
In two starts against the Indians this year, Sale has a 14.63 ERA, having given up 13 runs on 15 hits in eight innings.
Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer (13-8) needed 104 pitches to get through 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Boston's Mitch Moreland had three hits, including two home runs, and four RBIs.
The Indians, held to four hits in their previous 18 innings, had four hits in their first eight hitters. Cleveland opened it up with a four-run second inning against Sale.
The inning began with singles by Bruce and Brandon Guyer. Diaz drew a walk to load the bases. Roberto Perez followed with a single up the middle, scoring Bruce.
Urshela then hit a grounder to third baseman Rafael Devers, who in trying to start a double play, threw wildly to second, allowing Guyer to score while keeping the bases loaded.
Lindor followed with a single to left field, scoring Diaz to make it 3-0. Austin Jackson grounded into a forceout at second, but Urshela scored on the play to make it 4-0.
Boston got a run back in the third. Moreland, leading off the inning, hit a 1-2 pitch from Bauer deep into the lower deck in right field for his 16th home run, cutting the Cleveland lead to 4-1.
In the bottom half, the Indians continued their assault on Sale. Edwin Encarnacion led off the inning with a walk. Bruce struck out, but Guyer also walked. Diaz then ripped a double off the right field wall, scoring Encarnacion to make it 5-1.
Perez grounded out to the mound for the second out, but Urshela followed with a two-run single to center, scoring Guyer and Diaz and giving Cleveland a 7-1 lead.
The Red Sox's Mookie Betts led off the fourth with a double to left field. Bauer retired the next two batters, but Devers drew a walk, and Xander Bogaerts drove home both runners with a triple off the left field wall. Moreland singled, scoring Bogaerts and Cleveland's lead shrunk to 7-4.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Diaz singled and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Sandy Leon on a pitch to Perez that was ball four. Urshela lined a single, scoring Diaz to push the Indians' lead to 8-4.
Bruce's solo home run and an RBI double by Roberto Perez in the sixth inning pushed the Cleveland lead to 10-4. Lindor capped a three-hit night with a solo homer in the Indians' three-run seventh inning.
The Red Sox scored twice in the eighth, the runs coming on a two-run homer by Moreland.
NOTES: Boston RF Mookie Betts left the game in the eighth inning due to a bruised right knee. ... OF Rajai Davis, acquired in a trade with Oakland on Wednesday, joined the Red Sox on Thursday. He took over in the field for Betts and went 0-for-1. ... The Red Sox also activated RHP Blaine Boyer from the 10-day disabled list while optioning INF Deven Marrero and RHP Hector Velazquez to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Indians RHP Josh Tomlin will make a rehab start Friday with rookie-level Mahoning Valley (Ohio). Tomlin has been on the disabled list since July 31 due to a left hamstring strain. ... Cleveland 1B Carlos Santana missed his third consecutive game with a lower back strain. Manager Terry Francona said he hopes Santana will be able to return to the lineup Friday.
