Kelly returns to boost Red Sox’s lone weak spot

Forget the possibility of Joe Kelly throwing a no-hitter at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon. Sure, that would have been a sweet, sweet moment.

For Kelly, it would have been a nice reward for all the resilience he has shown the last couple of years in getting through some tough times. He did flirt with the no-no, opening the game by retiring 13 Cleveland Indians in a row and allowing just one ball to leave the infield the first six innings.

Kelly’s fastball was clocked as high as 98 mph and his four-seamer induced ground ball after ground ball. Given that Kelly was back after missing a month with a right shoulder impingement, the Red Sox weren’t sure what to expect.

Indians third baseman Juan Uribe ended the no-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning by lining Kelly’s 104th and final pitch to right-center for a double. In the end, though, it was an afternoon oozing with positives as the Red Sox beat the Indians, 9-1.

“He pitched a beautiful ballgame for us,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Powerful. Under control. Good command of his fastball. He’s got to come out of it feeling a big sense of comfort.”

Besides that, there was something a lot larger in play. That would be the construction of a postseason team. Little by little, the Red Sox appear to be getting there.

Let’s count the ways. They’ve got the highest-scoring offense in the Majors. Their bullpen and defense are plenty good, …

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