Sale started out red hot in the top of the first inning. Brian Dozier grounded out to third, Eduardo Escobar lined out to center and Miguel Sano whiffed to end the inning. Jose Berrios got tagged in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Bettts singled to center to start. Dustin Pedroia singled Mookie to third but Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play. Betts did score to give the Sox a quick lead. The run lost was huge as Mitch Moreland blasted a solo shot to center to light up the crowd. Andrew Benintendi joined the hit parade with a single as they had Berrios on the ropes. Benny swiped second and Chris Young walked....but Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to end the inning. Still, a 2-0 lead was better than a tie game.
The Twins threw up on themselves in the top of the second inning. Robbie Grossman popped up to second and Kennys Vargas flied out to right, but Jorge Polanco singled. The alert Sandy Leon gunned down Polano trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox didn't score in the bottom of the second but had a special moment. After Leon struck out, Tzu-Wei Lin singled to center for his first big league hit. Mr. Mookie lined out and Pedroia struck out but congratulations Lin.
The Twin struck back in the top of the third inning when Chris Gimenez blasted a solo home run to cut the lead in half off Sale. Eddie Rosario struck out and Byron Buxton lined out to right. Dozier whiffed to end the inning but it was now 2-1 Sox. As expected, after they let Berrios off the hook he began to dominate in the bottom of the third inning. Bogaerts and Moreland both struck out before Benny The Kid lined out to end the inning.
Sale nearly cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Escobar flied out to start. Sano grounded out but Grossman worked a walk. Sale recovered to strike out Vargas to end the inning. The hapless offense went quietly in the bottom of the fourth as Young grounded out, JBJ struck out and Leon grounded out to end the inning.
Sale turned up the heat in the top of the fifth by striking out Polanco to begin. Gimenez lined out to center and Sale whiffed Rosario to end the inning. There would be no back to back hits for Lin as he struck out to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Mr. Mookie grounded out and Pedroia lined out to end the inning.
Sale protected the one run lead in the top of the sixth by striking out Buxton to start. Dozier managed to single but Escobar flied out to right. Sano whiffed to end the inning. The pathetic offense reared its head in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bogaerts grounded out but Moreland singled. A wild pitch moved Moreland to second as Benny The Kid walked. With 2 men on, Young struck out and JBJ flied out to end the inning.
Sale returned for the top of the seventh inning but trouble brewed. Grossman singled and Vargas walked, prompting Max Kepler to pinch run for Vargas. Sale recovered to strike out Polanco and that was it for him. Sale had gone 6 1/3 innings giving up the only run while striking out 9.
Heath Hembree replaced Sale and got Gimenez to bang into a double play to end the inning just like that. Joe Mauer came into the game, batting for Grossman while playing first base in the bottom of the seventh. Leon got the rally started with a single and he moved to second on the Lin ground out. Mr. Mookie singled Sandy to third and that was it for Berrios. After getting smacked around early, he pitched well to this point. Matt Belisle got the call and Pedroia knocked in an insurance run with a single. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position and for some reason Bogaerts was intentionally walked to load the bases. Buddy Boshers came in to pitch to Moreland and Mitch responded with a sac fly to score Betts to increase the lead. Benny The Kid flied out to end the inning but it was now 4-1.
6 outs from victory, Sox manager John Farrell brought in Matt Barnes for the top of the eighth. Barnes responded by blowing away Rosario, Buxton and Dozier bing bang boom just like that. Great work Barnes. Alan Busenitz pitched the bottom of the eighth and Young flied out to start. JBJ struck out and Leon lined out to end the inning.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth inning. Escobar flied out to left, Sano struck out and Mauer flied out to end the game. The Sox had beaten the Twins 4-1 and Sale earned his 10th win of the year.
Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. He earned his 10th win by pitching 6 1/3 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 9
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis and a home run
Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Tzu-Wei Lin got his first hit and went 1 for 3.
Heath Hembree got the double play in the top of the 7th.
Matt Barnes struck out the side in the 8th inning.
Craig Kimbrel got his 21st save with a scoreless 9th.
The Bad:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.
Chris Young was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
The offense looks like complete crap again but this time were bailed out by Chris Sale. He is something else this year and he's keeping the Sox close to first place virtually by himself. It would be nice for the offense to wake up but I guess that's asking for too much. Still a win is a win and it improves their record to 42-34, 1/2 game back of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Drew Pomeranz (6-4, 4.07 ERA) goes up against Hector Santiago in Game 2 of this series at 7:05 PM.
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