Gray earns 18th victory, Monasterio drives in run, and Red Sox edge Guardians 1-0

In a thrilling 1-0 victory, the Boston Red Sox edged out the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night, ending the Guardians' six-game winning streak. Sonny Gray (18-5) pitched six innings to match Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez for the major league lead, earning his 18th victory of the season. Andruw Monasterio drove in the only run with a sixth-inning single, as the Red Sox clinched a playoff spot on Sunday.

Gray's ERA dropped to 2.72 after allowing four singles, striking out three, and walking one. Aroldis Chapman added to the Red Sox's success by striking out the side in the ninth inning, reaching a total of 35 saves for the season. Cleveland starter Foster Griffin (15-6) yielded a run on 10 hits, striking out seven. The Guardians had a one-game lead over the White Sox in the AL Central after the series opener on Tuesday.

However, the Red Sox paid a price for the victory when center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela left the game with a right hamstring tightness after running out a single on the same day he was activated from the injured list.