 fanned 11 in his ML-best 17th double-digit strikeout game, raising his league-leading total to 264. His 15 wins lead the AL.Sale, who matched a season-worst by allowing seven runs in his previous outing, pitched seven innings. The left-hander has not allowed a run in 22 innings against the Blue Jays this season.After Toronto DH Kendrys Morales hit a one-out double in the second inning, Sale retired 17 consecutive batters before Morales singled to begin the eighth.Kevin Pillar chased Sale with a single, and Addison Reed came on to strike out pinch-hitter Ezequiel Carrera and Miguel Montero. Ryan Goins singled to load the bases for Steve Pearce, but he grounded into a fielder's choice.Craig Kimbrel finished for his 31st save in 35 chances.Toronto has lost nine of 11.Sale caught Pillar looking at strike three in the second for the 1,500th strikeout of his career. Sale reached the milestone in 1,290 innings, quicker than any other pitcher. Kerry Wood did it in 1,303 innings.Promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to make his first start for the Blue Jays, left-hander Brett Anderson (2-3) allowed one run in 5 2/3 inningsBoston's Eduardo Nunez doubled in the first and tried to score on a two-out single by Mookie Betts, but was thrown out at home plate by right fielder Jose Bautista.After Morales doubled in the second, Sale and Anderson combined to retire 22 consecutive batters before Boston's Rajai Davis hit a two-out single in the sixth. Davis stole second and scored the game's first run when Nunez blooped an RBI double past a sliding Bautista, who failed to make a backhanded catch.Anderson left after Andrew Benintendi followed with an infield single. Dominic Leone came on and retired Betts to end the inning.Ramirez hit a two-out drive to center off Leone in the sixth, his 20th.Benintendi made it 3-0 with an RBI single off Ryan Tepera in the eighth.TRAINER'S ROOMRed Sox: LHP David Price (left elbow) is expected to throw off the mound Wednesday. Price last threw from the mound July 22, allowing six runs in five innings in a start against the Los Angeles Angels. ... 2B Dustin Pedroia (left knee) ran the bases and will do so again Wednesday. If all goes well, Pedroia hopes to return during Boston's upcoming series with the New York Yankees.ROSTER REPORTToronto optioned RHP Leonel Campos to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Anderson and granted OF Nori Aoki his unconditional release. RHP T. J. House cleared waivers and was assigned to Buffalo.UP NEXTRed Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (8-15, 4.75) won his first four starts in August before allowing a career worst 11 runs against Baltimore on Aug. 25.Blue Jays: After going 3-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his first three August starts, LHP J. A. Happ (6-10, 4.10) is 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in his past two outings.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Red Sox's Sale aims to rebound against Blue Jays 1h ago• 3 min read TORONTO -- While the Toronto Blue Jays continue to try to catch lightning in a bottle with their rotation on Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox will send out pure electricity on the mound.The Blue Jays' auditions for starting roles will continue when they go with 29-year-old left-hander Brett Anderson in the second game of the three-game series at the Rogers Centre.The Red Sox will go with the tried-and-true stuff of left-hander Chris Sale.Sale (14-6, 2.88 ERA) has not allowed a run to the Blue Jays in 15 innings over two starts this season. He is 5-2 with a 1.68 ERA in 10 career games (seven starts) against Toronto.The Red Sox ace is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA over his past five starts dating to Aug. 1, however. Two of those starts, and one of the losses, were against the Cleveland Indians, who scored a total of 14 runs (13 earned) in eight innings against him. The other loss was to the New York Yankees on Aug. 19, when he allowed four runs in seven innings.Meanwhile, the Blue Jays will bring up Anderson from Triple-A Buffalo."We've always liked him here," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He's always been a good pitcher, but he couldn't stay healthy." Anderson was signed as a free agent by the Blue Jays on Aug. 18 and assigned to Buffalo after he was released by the Chicago Cubs on July 31.Anderson was 2-2 with an 8.18 ERA in six starts for the Cubs this year. He also spent time on Chicago's disabled list due to a lower back strain.He was 1-1 with a 0.93 ERA in two starts for Buffalo.In 133 career appearances (121 starts), Anderson is 40-45 with a 3.99 ERA. He is 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in nine career starts against the Red Sox.The Red Sox began the series with a 6-5 win Monday night, taking a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh keyed by a two-run homer from Christian Vazquez. Justin Smoak hit a two-run homer for Toronto in the ninth against Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel.The win ended Boston's four-game losing streak."Big night offensively for Christian," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Particularly after the four games we were coming off, to get back in the win column is big. That might have been the toughest four-game stretch we've had this season. We came out and we put together a good effort tonight. "Vazquez added, "We needed that win to break the losing streak. We're back." They did most of the damage against Toronto's bullpen after starter Marcus Stroman held the Red Sox to two runs (one earned) in six innings. Danny Barnes gave up the home run to Vazquez.Because of the lack of consistency of the starters, the Blue Jays' bullpen has been busy."They've been working hard," Gibbons said. "Sooner or later it catches up with you. Barnes, it was coming out good, he just left the ball up, and Vazquez hit the home run." Gibbons said there should be some help on the way with September call-ups, which will not be a factor in this series against the Red Sox.Farrell also changed his lineup for Monday, dropping Hanley Ramirez from No. 4 to No. 7 in the other. The designated hitter was 1-for-15 with eight strikeouts in his previous four games."To take a different look," Farrell said of the reason for the move. "I think Hanley would be one of the first ones to acknowledge that this month in particular has been a little bit of a tough stretch for him, so a little bit of a shuffle to the lineup." Ramirez responded by going 2-for-4 with a double.
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