The White Sox needed a big start from ace Chris Sale, and he nearly gave them something historic.
Sale took a perfect game into the seventh inning before finishing with a one-hitter, and the Whie Sox beat the Angels 3-0 last night in Chicago to avoid a three-game sweep. The left-hander retired the first 19 batters he faced before Mike Trout’s sharp single to center ended the perfect game bid with one out in the seventh, on his 70th pitch.
“My arm felt good,” Sale said. “Warming up in the bullpen I felt like I was creating some good stuff and just wanted to transfer that out to the field, and it ended up working out.”
Sale (4-2) struck out seven on just 98 pitches for his first career shutout. It was the third one-hitter in three days in the majors, joining St. Louis’ Shelby Miller and Boston’s Jon Lester, who had theirs Friday.
Blue Jays 12, Red Sox 4
In Boston, Jose Bautista hit two of the Blue Jays’ five home runs as they beat Boston to take two of three in the series.
Ryan Dempster (2-4) gave up six runs and seven hits in five innings for the Red Sox.
National League
Giants 5, Braves 1
In San Francisco, Pablo Sandoval splashed a home run into McCovey Cove, Brandon Belt and Marco Scutaro also connected to back Tim Lincecum, and the Giants beat the Braves.
Lincecum (3-2) struck out seven in seven scoreless innings to end a three-start winless stretch in which he went 0-2.
Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 2
In Phoenix, Ryan Howard looped a two-run single to right field in the 10th inning after the Phillies scored twice in the ninth against Heath Bell to tie it, denying Brandon McCarthy and the Diamondbacks.