The Boston Red Sox snapped a three-game losing skid with a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Thursday afternoon.
Boston improved to 3-4 on the campaign while Detroit fell to 2-5 after the series opener.
You can check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Chris Sale entered his second start of the season in hopes of shaking off an embarrassing season debut last week. And while it certainly didn’t start the way Sale had in mind — he threw eight consecutive balls to walk the first two batters he faced and allowed a two-run homer in the second — the veteran left-hander nevertheless put together a better outing. Not his best, to be sure, but much-improved. Sale allowed three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts (46 of 74 pitches for strikes) and three walks. That’s certainly a positive development for the Red Sox given how Sale pitched in Boston’s second game of the season (seven runs on seven hits in three innings) and how the majority of the staff looked during their respective starts during the opening week.
After a pair of walks to start the first inning, Sale buckled down with two runners on and struck out the next three. And after allowing a one-out walk and two-run home run to Tigers catcher Jake Rogers in the second inning, Sale struck out the next batter and induced an inning-ending flyout. He retired the side in order during the fourth — on merely six pitches! — and the only batter to reach in the fifth was on a throwing error by Red Sox shortstop Kiké Hernández. Sale struck out the side in the fifth, as well.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Rafael Devers (2-for-4, two RBIs, two runs) jump-started the Red Sox offense in a big way Thursday. Devers led off the fourth inning with a 401-foot home run to left-center field, cutting Boston’s deficit to 3-2. Devers, though, wasn’t done yet as he stroked a one-out RBI double off the center field wall in the sixth. Devers, who ultimately advanced to third on his second extra-base hit, later scored the eventual game-winning run on a three-run homer by Adam Duvall.
— Duvall proved once again how Boston’s offense is different when he’s in the middle of the lineup. The Red Sox centerfielder hit his third home run of the season in the sixth inning, and it gave the Red Sox their first lead of the game at 6-3. Duvall (1-for-3, three RBIs, run, walk) now has 12 RBIs and three home runs in his first seven games.
— Masataka Yoshida recorded his third multi-hit game of his career and first double of the season. Yoshida reached based in three of his four plate appearances (2-for-3, run, walk).
WAGER WATCH
Bettors who took the Over 6.5 (-108) on Sale’s strikeout prop at FanDuel Sportsbook probably weren’t feeling overly confident when he threw eight consecutive balls to start the game. However, Sale bounced back with three strikeouts in the first and closed his outing with another three strikeouts in the fifth. He finished with seven total to cash the Over 6.5.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox return to Comerica Park for the middle game of the three-game set Saturday after a day off. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. ET and you can watch it on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.
