Indians, Red Sox flex muscles with 6 homers

CLEVELAND — The Indians turned their first Division Series game since 2007 into a home run derby, combining with the Red Sox for six home runs — three apiece — to open their best-of-five battle Thursday night at Progressive Field and tie an American League Division Series record.

Three of those five home runs were hit in the third inning of the Indians’ 5-4 victory off Rick Porcello, whose first postseason start since 2011 fell apart in a series of badly located pitches.

Porcello, who earned the Game 1 assignment for Boston following a 22-win regular season, gave up a double and RBI single in the first two innings but struck out four of Cleveland’s first eight batters. He took the mound for the third inning with a 2-1 lead thanks to the first homer of the night, a second-inning solo shot by Red Sox rookie Andrew Benintendi in the Cincinnati native’s first postseason at-bat.

Benintendi — 22 years, 92 days old — became the youngest Red Sox player to homer in a postseason game. His drive to left, projected at 408 feet by Statcast™, broke the age mark previous held by Reggie Smith, who was 22 years, 188 days old when he homered in Game 3 of the 1967 World Series.

Game Date Time Matchup TV/Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 6   CLE 5, BOS 4 Gm 2 Oct. 7 4:30 p.m. BOS @ CLE TBS Gm 3 Oct. 9 4 p.m. CLE @ BOS TBS *Gm 4 Oct. 10 TBD CLE @ BOS TBS *Gm 5 Oct. 12 TBD BOS @ CLE TBS *- If necessary | All times listed ETShop for postseason gear: Red Sox | Indians • Complete Postseason coverage

Once Porcello returned for the third, his fastball command …

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