BOSTON — Pinch-runner Jarrod Saltalamacchia dived across home plate to score the winning run on Jacoby Ellsbury’s single in the ninth inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2 on a rainy Tuesday night.

Jason Varitek singled with one out in the ninth against Vinnie Pestano (1-1) and Saltalamacchia ran for him. Josh Reddick followed with a single that sent Saltalamacchia to second.

Additional Photos

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, right, celebrates with Dustin Pedroia after Saltalamacchia scored in the bottom of the ninth to give Boston a 3-2 win. Photos by The Associated Press

Kevin Youkilis points after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning of Boston’s 3-2 win over Cleveland on Tuesday. The home run tied the game 2-2, setting the stage for Boston’s dramatic ninth-inning victory.

Clay Buchholz got good news Tuesday as he was told a stress fracture in his back did not mean it was the end of his season.

Ellsbury then singled, setting up the play at the plate. Center fielder Eziquiel Cabrera threw home and catcher Carlos Santana caught the ball wide of the plate, but Saltalamacchia won the race and scored.

The start of the game was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Jonathan Papelbon (3-0) got the win after shutting down the Indians on just 10 pitches in the ninth. Boston posted its sixth walk-off win of the season.

Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall hit solo homers for Cleveland’s runs.

Indians starter David Huff gave up one unearned run and three hits in five innings, and tied his career high with six strikeouts. Huff has allowed just one earned run in three starts this season.

Boston scored in the second on a wild pitch that actually struck out Varitek. Huff followed that by striking out Darnell McDonald and Ellsbury.

Huff left with a 2-1 lead on Chisenhall’s homer into the right-field corner in the fourth. Reliever Rafael Perez took over for the Indians in the sixth and the first batter he faced was Kevin Youkilis, who tied it at 2-all with a towering solo shot that hit one of the signs above the Green Monster.

Youkilis was ejected after his next at-bat, when he struck out on a checked swing and argued on his way back to the dugout.

Kipnis, who homered in his last at-bat Monday, drove the first pitch he saw from Josh Beckett into the Boston bullpen in the first to put the Indians up 1-0.

Beckett was pulled after six innings, after allowing six hits and striking out seven.

NOTES: Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco said he planned to drop his appeal of a six-game suspension after he starts against the Boston Red Sox tonight. Carrasco was suspended and fined $2,500 for throwing at the head of Kansas City’s Billy Butler last week. Newly acquired Ubaldo Jimenez will start Friday night at Texas and the Indians are off Monday, giving them some flexibility with their rotation. … Red Sox SS Marco Scutaro, who left Monday night’s game with dizziness, was sent for tests Tuesday that cleared him to play, but he was held out of the starting lineup by Manager Terry Francona. Scutaro entered the game in the ninth inning after Youkilis’ ejection. Mike Aviles, who started at short, moved over to third. … Injured Boston SS Jed Lowrie is playing rehab games at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he went 1 for 3 Tuesday and could return soon.

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