Chris Sale threw the first immaculate inning for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in over 19 years, and Bobby Dalbec homered twice in a 12-2 thumping of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night in the rubber match of a three game series.
Dalbec hit a three-run homer off Minnesota starter John Gant in the second inning, and then added a two-run shot in the seventh and had three hits and seven RBI as Boston rolled to the win. Sale become just the second pitcher all-time to have three immaculate innings in his career, joining Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. The left hander had two such feats back in May and June of 2019 at Baltimore and at Kansas City, but Thursday night became the first to do it at Fenway Park since Pedro Martinez did so back on May 18, 2002 against the Seattle Mariners. Rafael Devers added two hits and three knocked in as the Sox go to 73-56, and will enter play on Friday 2.5 games ahead of Oakland for the second American League wild card.
Sale (3-0) went 5.1 innings allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. The immaculate inning came in the third striking out Nick Gordon, Andrelton Simmons, and Rob Refsnyder. Garrett Whitlock, Garrett Richards, and Matt Barnes combined to allow no runs on just one hit out of the bullpen. Minnesota (55-72) was held to just three hits, with Gant (4-8) allowing four runs on three hits in 4.0 innings to take the pitching loss. Boston hits the road for a three game series with the Cleveland Indians beginning Friday night. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-7, 5.19 ERA) will pitch the opener for the Red Sox, while Logan Allen (1-5, 9.13) gets the nod for the Indians.
