The Boston Red Sox claimed a series-clinching victory against the Cleveland Guardians after earning a 7-1 verdict at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon.
Boston, which has now won four of its last five series, improved to 15-14. The Guardians fell to 13-15.
Check out the box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Chris Sale put together a much-improved effort against the Guardians after struggling earlier in the week against the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox left-hander threw 72% of his pitches for strikes (71 of 98 pitches) in his longest outing of the season (6 1/3 innings). Sale allowed just one run on a mere three hits with five strikeouts and no walks. He retired the side in order during the first, third and fourth frames. In his start Monday against the Orioles, he didn't record a single strikeout. Sunday's performance eclipses his six-inning start against the Minnesota Twins on April 18 for his longest outing of the campaign and is his longest since the 2019 season.
Sale has shown flashes this season, none more evident than his 11 strikeouts in that game against the Twins, and Red Sox fans surely are hoping Sunday's outing goes a long way towards the veteran pitching with consistency.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Alex Verdugo, less than 24 hours after hitting a walk-off single, recorded another three RBIs as he went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and a walk. Verdugo's two-run single put the Red Sox out front 2-0 in the fifth inning. And the leadoff man then continued his hot stretch with a solo home run in the seventh inning to extend Boston's advantage to 5-1, a blast with a 107.9 mph exit velocity that would have been a home run at 28 of 30 ballparks.
-- Christian Arroyo was productive both for the Red Sox offense and defense. Starting at shortstop, Arroyo went 2-for-3 at the plate with one walk and a pair of RBIs on a two-run double in the seventh.
-- Connor Wong (2-for-4, two runs, two RBIs) gave the Red Sox some much-needed separation with his two-run blast to left field in the sixth inning, which came right after Cleveland got its deficit to 2-1 in the top of the frame. It marked the first of the season for Wong, and the 427-foot shot with a 111.8 mph exit velocity would have been a dinger at all 30 ballparks.
-- As mentioned, Sale put together a bounce-back performance to set the tone for the Red Sox.
WAGER WATCH
On a chilly and rainy day which figured to be a tough one to score runs, the Red Sox and Guardians came together to cash on the Under 8.5 runs, although it got a little close for comfort after Boston's three-run seventh inning. Those who bet on the Under (-102) at FanDuel Sportsbook just about doubled their money.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will continue their home stand with a series against the Toronto Blue Jays starting Monday. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.
