Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning in Toronto, on Aug. 29, 2017.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
It was a battle featuring Chris Sale, a strikeout titan for the Boston Red Sox, and Brett Anderson, a pitcher looking to re-establish his starter chops at the major-league level, for the Toronto Blue Jays.
It was a mismatch waiting to happen, but Anderson was able to hold his own against one of the game's best on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre – until the sixth inning.
It was then that a fielding gaffe by Toronto's Jose Bautista allowed Rajai Davis to score the game's first run from second base. The Red Sox went on to earn an 3-0 victory and win their second in a row over the Jays.
Anderson, called up for spot-starting duties by the Blue Jays from Triple-A, was looking good in his first start in a Toronto uniform, sprinkling three Boston hits over the first five innings.
Sale was doing his thing and in the second inning, when he whiffed Kevin Pillar looking, the left-hander notched his 1,500th career strikeout in his 1,290th inning, faster than any other Major League Baseball pitcher on record. Sale would last seven-plus innings against Toronto and allow just three hits while striking out 11.
In the sixth, former Blue Jay Davis collected a hit off Anderson and stole second. Eduardo Nunez then stroked a flare into right field that Bautista charged in on. Sliding to the turf, Bautista just plain missed the catch as the ball flew past him and Davis scored to put the Red Sox ahead 1-0.
Hanley Ramirez stroked his 20th home run of the season off Dominic Leone in the seventh to provide Boston more breathing room.