Chris Sale was spectacular on the mound Tuesday night.
The Boston Red Sox lefty tossed seven innings of three-hit ball with one walk and 11 strikeouts. However, the bullpen surrendered four runs in the eighth inning and it was too late for the Sox’s offense to recover, forcing Sale to take the no-decision in the 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
Through Sale’s 16 starts this season, the Red Sox have scored two runs or less on six occasions. Despite the bad luck, the southpaw isn’t looking for any sympathy.
“It’s part of it,” Sale said after the game, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “Look at (New York Mets’ starter) Jacob deGrom. I feel even worse for him … It isn’t rocket science … some days you pitch well and some days you don’t pitch well.”
It isn’t a secret the lefty brought some of his best stuff to the mound Tuesday, but Sale didn’t seem too bothered by the fact that the Red Sox are 8-8 during in games he starts. Sale knows the offense isn’t doing anything different in contests he steps on the mound.
“I know these guys want to win,” Sale said. “Maybe I’ll bring the boys some popsicles for my next one.”
It’s clear Sale isn’t letting the no-decision bother him.
Here are some other notes from Tuesday’s Red Sox-Twins game:
— Sale is 6-4 on the season with a 2.67 ERA. Sox skipper Alex Cora said the team needs to be able to score more runs for the ace.
“We have to do a better job with men in scoring position,” Cora said after the game. “Seems like we’ve been struggling lately in those spots.”
— Rafael Devers was featured in each of Boston’s two runs. He hit his 12th home run of the season in the sixth and scored the second run on a Sandy Leon double in the eighth.
The third baseman is batting .320 in his last 50 plate appearances with four doubles and three home runs.
— Jackie Bradley Jr. made a perfect throw from center field to Sandy Leon to cut down Twins designated hitter Robby Grossman at the plate for the third out of the eighth.
— Robby Scott made his 2018 season debut in the eighth in relief of Sale and only got one out while putting two men on. He accounted for two of the four runs given up in the inning.
Cora said after the game had Boston been in the lead, he would have gone with Joe Kelly to begin the frame.
— Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Red Sox’s starting pitching had a combined 2.90 ERA thus far through the month of June.
