With Moreland hurt, Swihart steps into the breach

BOSTON — Blake Swihart thought he had the day off Thursday, but that plan changed quickly when first baseman Mitch Moreland exited the game in the first inning with a left knee bruise.

While trying to catch a pop-up in foul territory, Moreland slid into the camera well just beyond the Red Sox dugout. Moreland singled to left in the bottom of the first but Swihart came into pinch run for him and took over at first base.

Swihart had [...]

BOSTON — Blake Swihart thought he had the day off Thursday, but that plan changed quickly when first baseman Mitch Moreland exited the game in the first inning with a left knee bruise.

While trying to catch a pop-up in foul territory, Moreland slid into the camera well just beyond the Red Sox dugout. Moreland singled to left in the bottom of the first but Swihart came into pinch run for him and took over at first base.

Swihart had two hits, drove in the first two runs of the Red Sox big fifth inning, made a couple of nice plays in the field and helped the Sox to a 7-0 win and series split with the Indians. “That’s just me always being ready,” Swihart said. “That’s been my role this year, to be ready and I was prepared for what happened.”

The Red Sox racked up win No. 90 of the season.

David Price pitched masterfully and, after scoring just seven runs during their three-game losing streak this week, the Red Sox plated 17 runs in the last two games.

“It’s impressive,” Swihart said. “Hopefully, we can just keep going. It’s a lot of fun.”

Swihart, 26, began the year languishing as Boston’s third catcher behind Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez, but since Vazquez went down with a broken left pinky in early July, Swihart has seen more time behind the plate while also being a valuable utility option. He has played six different defensive positions this season. In addition to catching and playing first base, he has appeared in left field and right field and at second and third.

Thursday’s game was his eighth of the year at first.

“I haven’t been there a lot lately,” Swihart said. “I just come in and try not to do too much, just stay within myself if I have to drop and block just like a catcher, keep the ball in front of me.”

Swihart and Price combined for a 1-3 putout of Roberto Perez in the sixth and Swihart began a 3-6 double play in the eighth.

“That’s what he’s all about,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We have capable guys to come in. Blake comes in and it’s not an easy job. That double play at the end, that’s not an easy play. That was pretty good.”

In the fifth, Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr. got things going with back-to-back hits, and with one out, Andrew Benintendi walked, loading the bases for Swihart.

He laced an Adam Plutko fast ball to right-center field for a double and drove in Leon and Bradley Jr. The Sox scored six runs in the inning.

“[Swihart] was huge, huge for us,” said Price, who earned his 14th win of the season. “Mitch got the start and that first inning he went sliding into the rail. That hurt him for a little bit. For Swihart to be able to step in and get that big double with the bases loaded, to make the plays he made at first base, that was huge for us.”

It marked the second straight game that Swihart had driven in the winning run. He caught starter Brian Johnson Wednesday night and delivered the go-ahead single in the fourth inning of the Red Sox 10-4 victory.

Swihart added a single in the sixth for his fifth multihit game of the season. All of them have happened at Fenway Park.

Since June 26, Swihart, who has played in 58 games this season, is 18 for 56 (.321) and has raised his batting average from .149 to .223 over that stretch. He had a career-long 11-game hitting streak from July 6-31 and recorded his first career walk-off RBI on a 13th-inning double July 30 against the Phillies.

Swihart spent 10 days this month on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. He was activated Aug. 14.

Swihart has nine RBI this season, including three in the last two games.