Another day, another win for the 2018 Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox continue to dominate the Baltimore Orioles, tallying a 3-1 win on a cold Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Chris Sale fought through five innings and was in line for the loss before the Red Sox’s offense broke through in the middle innings against Orioles starter Dylan Bundy.
Andrew Benintendi (3-for-4, RBI) tied the game at one in the fifth inning and Boston plated two runs in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead that the bullpen nailed down.
With the win, the Red Sox improve to 13-2, while the Orioles fall to 5-11.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Chilly.
Temperatures at Fenway Park hovered around 20 degrees all afternoon, but the Sox’s offense was able to heat up in time to earn the win.
ON THE BUMP
— Sale showcased electric stuff on a chilly day at Fenway Park, but the left-hander exited the game after five innings due to a high pitch count. The Red Sox ace allowed one run on two hits while striking out eight and walking two in five innings of work.
The Orioles got to Sale early in the contest. Trey Mancini led off the game with an infield single and scored two batters later when Manny Machado smoked an RBI double down the left-field line. Sale got out of the first inning without allowing any further damage. The star lefty shut down the O’s from that point on but was unable to go deep in the game after throwing 93 pitches through five innings.
— Hembree tossed a scoreless sixth inning. The right-hander also pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
— Matt Barnes kept the O’s off the scoreboard in the eighth inning.
— Craig Kimbrel slammed the door in the ninth to earn the save.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston threatened in the second inning when Mitch Moreland (3-for-4, two doubles) smoked a one-out, ground-rule double to right field and Rafael Devers followed with a walk. But the Sox were unable to push across a run, as Bundy struck out Christian Vazquez and got Brock Holt to foul out to end the frame.
— Benintendi got Sale off the hook in the fifth inning when he ripped a two-out, RBI triple to right field to score Jackie Bradley Jr. and tie the game at one. Boston couldn’t take the lead, though, as Hanley Ramirez flew out to center to end the inning.
— Boston broke the tie in the sixth inning. J.D. Martinez reached on an error to lead off the inning and Moreland followed with a double off the Green Monster. Bundy then bounced a breaking ball in the dirt that squirted away from catcher Caleb Joseph, allowing Martinez to race home and give the Sox a 2-1 edge.
Boston extended its lead to 3-1 later in the inning when Tzu-Wei Lin (2-for-4, RBI) ripped a two-out, RBI ground-rule double down the right-field line to score Moreland.
— Bradley, Ramirez, Martinez and Vazquez all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Spring has not arrived yet.
UP NEXT
With Monday’s series finale against the Orioles postponed, the Red Sox will next take the field Tuesday night in Anaheim. David Price is set to get the ball for Boston opposite the Angels’ versatile phenom Shohei Ohtani. First pitch from Angels Stadium is scheduled for 10:07 p.m. ET.
