Sale first to 12 wins, White Sox beat Red Sox 3-1

– The White Sox touched Rodriguez for a run in the top of the first inning, marking the third time in as many games the Red Sox had fallen behind before taking their first swings.

Mookie Betts drove in Boston’s only run with a sacrifice fly in the third after Travis Shaw and Sandy Leon started the inning with back-to-back singles. This was a pitching rematch between Chad Bettis, who recorded a career best eight strikeouts, and Ivan Nova, who took the loss for the Yankees, dropping his record to 5-5 on the season.

GIANTS 15, PIRATES 4 (at Pittsburgh) – Angel Pagan hit a grand slam during a seven-run fourth inning, Johnny Cueto shut down Pittsburgh into the seventh and San Francisco won a laugher. Chris Young then just missed a three-run homer down the left field line. The Dodgers are hot with seven wins in their past eight games.

That confidence was evident as Sale (12-2) held Boston to four hits over seven innings.

It didn’t stop there as Brett Lawrie gave the visitors an insurance run with a solo shot that went up and over the Green Monster and put his team up by one.

Before play on Wednesday, Porcello was tied for fourth in the American League in wins, sixth in walks per nine innings (1.93), eighth in strikeout to walk ratio (4.65) and ninth in WHIP (1.09). After he allowed a leadoff double to Adam Eaton, the former closer threw a first-pitch splitter that hung out over the plate to Melky Cabrera and was hammered over the right-field fence to tie the game. Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson (1-1) earned the victory in relief. Chicago (47-22) saw its still formidable National League Central lead over St. Louis slip to 10 1/2 games. I’m out there to pitch and help this team win games.

Chicago starter Jason Hammel (7-3) suffered his second loss of June after giving up four runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three. “Three or four more times, at least”.

Kluber (7-7) struck out nine and walked two in pitching his third career shutout. They pounded out 13 hits, and Ramirez showed rare life with a tiebreaking solo homer to the opposite field in the sixth.

“I kind of felt like he was going first-pitch fastball”, Anderson said.

The piecemeal win stopped a three-game losing streak for NY (37-32).

X-rays on Colon’s thumb were negative.

Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew.

Reds 8, Rangers 2: Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart provided the muscle, backing Anthony DeSclafani’s arm in Cincinnati’s victory over streaking Texas.

“When somebody jumps ship on you the first pitch of the game there’s not a whole lot you can do about it”, said Buchholz. He got to a dozen wins before the season’s midpoint. The A’s had lost five of their previous six.

– Ross was all over the place, hitting two batters and giving up a single before retiring the side.

The Red Sox scored four runs in the third. He was hit hard his last three starts. Yoenis Cespedes hit his 18th home run, and Asdrubal Cabrera also connected for NY.

One of the players responsible for this recent dry run is first baseman Hanley Ramirez. Correa went 2-for-4 and drove in all three of Houston’s runs.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, BLUE JAYS 2: Yasmany Tomas and Peter O’Brien homered, Patrick Corbin threw 6.1 solid innings at Toronto and the Diamondbacks earned their fifth straight win. The 23-year-old lefty had his most powerful fastball of the year last night, sitting at around 95-96 miles per hour as he mostly used only two pitches, his fastball and a devastating changeup, to strikeout a season-high seven batters over six innings of work. It was the 11th straight start in which Estrada had allowed five or fewer hits while going six or more innings.

Buchholz was hoping to show he deserved to be in the rotation, but he didn’t make that case when he gave up a lead off home run to start the game. However, the team has struggled to find pitchers to fill out their rotation. The Pale Hose have now taken the first two games of the four-game set and it won’t get any easier tonight with Jose Quintana on the mound for Chicago.