Nix, Marte homer in Indians’ victory

Associated Press

BOSTON

Andy Marte hit a three-run homer in a five-run seventh inning, and Justin Masterson pitched five solid innings against his former team on Wednesday night to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 9-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Jayson Nix homered off the Fisk Pole for Cleveland, which has won four out of five games to improve to 12-8 since the All-Star break and move out of last place and into a tie for fourth in the A.L. Central. The Indians took advantage of three Boston errors to score seven unearned runs, including all five in the seventh when they turned a 4-1 game into a 9-1 blowout.

David Ortiz homered for Boston, extending his hitting streak to 13 straight games — his longest in three years.

Making his first start in Fenway Park against the team that developed him — and then sent him to the Indians last year at the trading deadline for Victor Martinez, Masterson (4-10) allowed one run on four hits and four walks, striking out three in five-plus innings.

Jon Lester (11-7) gave up four runs — two of them earned — on seven hits and four walks, striking out three in five-plus innings. He has lost four consecutive starts for the first time in his career.

Jason Donald singled off Scott Atchison to lead off the seventh, then Asdrubal Cabrera reached on an error and went to second when his grounder over the bag got past first baseman Victor Martinez. Shin-Soo Choo was intentionally walked to load the bases; Donald scored on Shelley Duncan’s grounder when shortstop Marco Scutaro’s throw home pulled the catcher off the plate for another error.

One out later, Nix hit a sacrifice fly, and Marte homered with a high fly ball that bounced on the shelf atop the Green Monster.