Red Sox Wrap: Chris Sale Strikes Out 14, Boston Tops O’s In 12 Innings

It wasn’t all pretty, but they all count the same in the win column. And with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in 12 innings at Camden Yards on Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox have as many wins as they have losses.

Andrew Benintendi clubbed a solo shot with two outs in the 12th to salvage an evening that should have been all about Chris Sale.

Sale was pretty spectacular, dicing through the Baltimore lineup like a hot knife. The left-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and struck out a season high 14 (one short of tying his career high).

A Mookie Betts solo shot was the only other offense Boston would get. Ryan Brasier earned the win, while Heath Hembree recorded the save.

The Red Sox moved to 19-19 with the win, while the Orioles dropped to 13-24 with the loss.

GAME IN  A WORD
Wow.

For a 2-1 game without much offense, this sure did provide some highlights.

ON THE BUMP
— The upward trend Sale has been enjoying over his last few starts peaked Wednesday night. The lefty was nothing short of special, going eight strong innings while allowing just one run on three hits and two hit batsmen.

Sale rolled through the first two innings, striking out the first two batters he faced before retiring the next four in a row. He hit Stevie Wilkerson with a slider that rode inside on the Orioles center fielder, but Sale bounced back to strike out the side.

The southpaw started the fourth by plunking Joey Rickard, but once again sat the next three down, including back-to-back K’s to end the frame. He picked up two more punch outs in the fifth inning.

It was with two outs in the bottom of the sixth that Sale finally surrendered his first hit of the game, with Rickard singling to center. He later scored to knot the game 1-1 on a Trey Mancini double to the left-center gap.

Still dealing in the seventh, Sale struck out the side on nine pitches a.k.a the “immaculate inning.”

Sale worked around a Pedro Severino leadoff single in the eighth, closing out his evening by striking out his final two batters.

— Matt Barnes gave up a leadoff double to Mancini in the ninth, then advanced to third on a one-out seeing eye base hit from Rio Ruiz. But Barnes induced a dribbler and stuck out Wilkerson to force extras.

— Brandon Workman dealt a 1-2-3 frame in the 10th.

— Brasier nearly gave up a one-out walk-off homer to Mancini in the 11th, but Jackie Bradley Jr. made a phenomenal catch to save the game. Brasier got out of the inning with a strikeout.

— Hembree closed the door with a 1-2-3 inning in the 12th.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Benintendi reached second base after an error by Dwight Smith Jr. in left field to start the game, but Boston would not be able to bring the runner around.

— Andrew Cashner remained a tough nut to crack, but Betts put Boston on the board in the third, crushing a hanging changeup to make it 1-0.

— Betts made a pretty unfortunate base-running blunder, when he was gunned down at third trying to swipe a bag when Hanser Alberto couldn’t handle a Xander Bogaerts liner. Jonathan Villar ran to the loose ball and got Betts at third to end the eighth.

— Rafael Devers led off the top of the ninth with a line-drive single, but was thrown out on a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play with Eduardo Nunez at the plate.

— Benintendi put the Sox up in the 12th with a home run to right field off Yefry Ramirez to make it 2-1.

— Sandy Leon and Devers each had two hits as Boston mustered just eight knocks. J.D. Martinez, Mitch Moreland and Bradley went hitless.

TWEET OF THE DAY
We were all pretty fired up.

UP NEXT
The Sox get a day off and will visit the White House on Thursday before returning to Boston to host the Seattle Mariners on Friday. First pitch from Fenway Parked is slated for 7:10 p.m. ET.