Betts does Plastic Man impersonation to rob hit

BOSTON – The zero that Rick Porcello threw against the Indians in the fifth inning of Boston's 12-5 win Monday afternoon at Fenway Park can be largely attributed to the Red Sox defense, which turned in a couple of sensational plays.

Jason Kipnis led off the inning by lacing one to the gap in right-center field. Mookie Betts raced over and fully extended to make a diving catch in the gap. The ball looked like it was almost behind Betts as he stretched his glove back to corral it.

Porcello took off his cap and doffed it in the direction of Betts as a sign of his appreciation.

According to Statcast, Kipnis had an expected batting average of .710 on the snag by Betts. It was a 3-star catch with a catch probability of 65 percent. Betts had to go 63 feet in 4.1 seconds with the sun shining brightly in his direction.

Later, with a runner on second and two outs, Mike Freeman stung a hard grounder up the middle that looked like it would be a sure RBI single. But second baseman Brock Holt, playing in his first game since returning from the injured list, made a diving stop and fired to first baseman Michael Chavis for the out that kept the game knotted in a 3-3 tie.

The Red Sox then took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Rafael Devers, plating six runs in the frame.