Chris Sale only allowed two hits in his outing Wednesday night to pick up a win, and Xander Bogaerts hit a three run homer to lead the offense as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics 6-4 at Fenway Park in Boston. It was the final meeting of season between the two teams, as Oakland won four of the six in those matchups.
JD Martinez added hit 12th homer of the season, a two run shot in the second for Boston (29-14). Martinez is now batting .344. Bogaerts broke open a 3-2 game with a no doubt three run shot, his fifth of the year over the monster in left up by the light tower in the sixth inning. Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi also added two hits a piece.
Sale (4-1) gave up two earned runs, two hits, four walks, with nine strikeouts on 102 pitches in five innings of work. Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Joe Kelly, and Craig Kimbrel allowed just three hits and two runs in four combined innings. Kimbrel picked up his 12th save of the year, allowing a solo homer to Matt Olson in the ninth. Matt Joyce and Marcus Semien also homered for Oakland (21-22).
The Sox remain a half game back of the New York Yankees in the A.L. East and will start a four game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night at 7 pm at Fenway. Game one is makeup of the Patriots Day postponement, and David Price will be on the mound.
