BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox ace Chris Sale struck out a career-high 17 in just seven innings before getting pulled after 108 pitches on a chilly Tuesday night, and the Colorado Rockies rallied against Boston’s bullpen to win 5-4 in the 11th.
Sale became the first pitcher in major league history to fan 17 in a start of no more than seven innings. Boston pitchers combined to strike out 24, but the Red Sox had their five-game winning streak stopped.
Mark Reynolds, whose fifth-inning double was the first runner allowed by Sale, drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the 11th off Ryan Brasier (2-2).
Sale struck out the first six batters and fanned eight through three innings. He topped his previous best of 15 strikeouts, which he had done three times. The All-Star lefty had a shutout through six innings. Nolan Arenado’s two-run homer in the seventh was one of only three hits managed by the Rockies against Sale.
Mike Dunn (1-0) got the win with one inning of scoreless relief and Wade Davis got his seventh save.
Charlie Blackmon also homered for the Rockies. Michael Chavis, J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers homered for Boston.
Kyle Freeland got the start for Colorado on his 26th birthday and went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out seven and walking three.
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