The Boston Red Sox returned to Fenway Park on Thursday and claimed a series-clinching win over the Minnesota Twins by a 12-2 verdict.
Boston improves to 73-56 on the season while Minnesota fell to 55-72 with the defeat.
You can view the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Chris Sale was back on the mound Thursday and the Red Sox moved to 3-0 in the three games the left-hander has started this season. Sale, for a third time this season, received plenty of run support, as well.
But it was Sale, returned from rehab from Tommy John surgery, who kept the Twins at bay through a season-best 5 1/3 innings. He threw 80 pitches with 55 going for strikes. Sale struck out eight batters, three of which came during an immaculate inning in the third as he needed just nine pitches to retire the side. Sale now is responsible for each of the last three immaculate innings by a Boston pitcher and is the first to do so at Fenway Park since Pedro Martinez did so in May 2002, according to Red Sox Notes. Sale finished the game allowing just two earned runs on two hits, both of which came in the fifth inning with Minnesota’s Willians Astudillo hitting a two-run homer.
STARS OF THE GAME
— If not for Sale earning his third win of the season, Bobby Dalbec would have been the biggest storyline of the night. The Red Sox first baseman recorded seven (!!) RBIs on a pair of home runs. Dalbec finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Dalbec blasted a three-run home run in the second inning, a two-run single during a five-run sixth and another two-run home run during the seventh.
— Rafael Devers hit home run No. 30 on the season during the aforementioned sixth inning. Devers is just the second player in franchise history to hit 30 or more home runs in two or more seasons before turning 25 years old, as mentioned on the NESN broadcast. He finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
— Garrett Whitlock did more Garrett Whitlock things in relief of Sale. He entered the game with runners on first and second and one out in the sixth and retired the next two batters he faced. Whitlock went 1 2/3 innings but was taken out before the eighth inning with the Red Sox extending their advantage to 10 runs.
WAGER WATCH
Sale entered Thursday’s game with DraftKings Sportsbook setting one proposition bet at over/under 6.5 strikeouts (-160). Sale exceeded that as he compiled eight strikeouts before leaving with one out in the sixth. If you had made a wager of $160 that Sale would cash in on the over, you would have walked away $100 richer.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will travel to the Cleveland Indians for a three-game series beginning Friday night. First pitch from Cleveland is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN.
