Chris Sale fired a complete game shutout and finally got some run support for his second win on Wednesday night, and three Boston batters had multiple hit games as the Red Sox blanked the Kansas City Royals 8-0 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Boston (32-29) got all the offense they would need in this one when Rafael Devers had an RBI groundout in the top of the first to score Mookie Betts. Brock Holt continued to stay red hot at the plate with an RBI single later in the inning to double the lead. The Sox broke it open in the fifth. Devers doubled in a run to make it 3-0, and then later Jackie Bradley Jr. cleared the loaded bases with a three run double to left. Devers hit a solo homer in the seventh, his ninth of the year making it 7-0. Boston got a Sandy Leon sacrifice fly in the same inning to finish off the scoring on the night. The Sox have now won three straight games.
Sale (2-7) had maybe his best outing of the season. He went the full 9.0 innings allowing no runs, three hits, with no walks, along with 12 strikeouts. The big lefty threw 102 pitches (73 for strikes). For the second time this season Sale had an immaculate inning, this time in the eighth inning throwing nine pitches all for strikes with three strikeouts. He becomes the first Red Sox pitcher to ever do that twice in one season, and only the second pitcher ever to pull off that feat twice in one season in MLB history (Lefty Grove, 1928). Andrew Benintendi and Holt each had three hits, while Devers and Bradley Jr. had three RBI each. Jakob Junis (4-6) took the loss for Kansas City allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings. The Royals fall to a dismal 19-42.
Boston goes for the three game sweep on Thursday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. Rookie right hander Ryan Weber goes for the Sox, while the Royals counter with lefty Danny Duffy.
