Boston starter Chris Sale struck out a career high 17 batters on Tuesday night and the Sox pitching staff struck out 24 in all, but it wasn’t enough as the Colorado Rockies won the interleague opener 5-4 at Fenway Park in Boston.
The Red Sox took an early lead when Michael Chavis crushed a 451 foot solo homer to left field to make it 1-0. It was the seventh homer already for Chavis. Boston made it 3-0 when JD Martinez hit a solo homer, and Rafael Devers did the same in the bottom of the third inning. Sale was cruising all the way to the seventh inning until Trevor Story got a leadoff single, and Nolan Arenado followed with a two run homer to cut it to 3-2. Sale ended his night by striking out the next three batters.
In the eighth the Rockies took their first lead when Chris Ianetta hit a one out wall ball double to left, and Charlie Blackmon hit a two out two run homer to center off Sox reliever Brandon Workman. Boston tied it back up in the bottom half when Mitch Moreland delivered a pinch hit single to score Devers to make it 4-4. But the visitors from Colorado won in the 11th inning off Ryan Brasier when Mark Reynolds delivered a two out RBI single to score Storey.
Chavis and Martinez had two hits each for the Red Sox, who had their five game win streak snapped. Sale got the no decision going seven innings allowing just two runs, three hits, with no walks, and 17 strikeouts. Barnes pitched a perfect ninth and 10th inning with five strikeouts, and Brasier (2-2) was tagged with the loss allowing a run and a hit with two walks in an inning of work. Boston pitching didn’t allow any walks until that 11th inning. Reynolds had two hits for the Rockies. Mike Dunn (1-0) got the win with a perfect 10th, and Wade Davis allowed a hit in the 11th and picked up his seventh save.
The Sox and Rockies finish off this short two game series Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m., with a pitching matchup of Eduardo Rodriguez for Boston and German Marquez for Colorado.
