MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Mitch Garver hit a two-run homer and tagged out Shohei Ohtani trying to score the tying run in the eighth inning before leaving with an injury, helping the Minnesota Twins hold off the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Garver homered in the third to give Minnesota a three-run lead behind Kyle Gibson (4-1). It was Garver’s ninth homer and traveled to the second deck in left field. Byron Buxton added an RBI double the next inning, and five relievers combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings, with Blake Parker getting his seventh save in seven chances.
Ohtani had three hits, including an RBI single as part of a three-run sixth, but he was thrown out at third base in the sixth and at home in the eighth after Brian Goodwin’s single to center.
Garver, a breakout performer this season with a .329 average, took in Buxton’s throw and applied the tag on Ohtani, then had to be helped off the field without putting weight on his left leg. He was replaced the next inning by Jason Castro.
The Twins lead the majors with 16 home runs and 38 RBIs from the catching position, also getting strong contributions from Castro and Willians Astudillo.
Cam Bedrosian (1-2) took the loss for Los Angeles, serving as the opener for primary pitcher Felix Peña. Bedrosian gave up one run and two hits in one inning.
Gibson cruised through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He allowed three runs, six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
LEAVING AN OPENING
Bedrosian made his third start of the year for Los Angeles in the opening role ahead of Peña. It was the sixth time the Angels have used an opener this year.
Eddie Rosario singled to score Jorge Polanco, the first time an opener had allowed a run for Los Angeles this season. Previously, Bedrosian, Luke Bard and Hansel Robles had accounted for five scoreless innings.
Peña gave up three runs and five hits in five innings in his third appearance as the primary pitcher out of the bullpen.
Sale Ks 17 in 7 innings
BOSTON – Red Sox ace Chris Sale struck out a career-high 17 in just seven innings against Colorado, then was pulled after 108 pitches on a chilly Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Sale became the first pitcher in major league history to fan 17 in a start of no more than seven innings.
The big league record for strikeouts in nine innings is 20, done five times. Roger Clemens did it twice for Boston, Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson also accomplished the feat and Max Scherzer was the last to it in 2016.
When Boston manager Alex Cora told Sale he was coming out, the lefty used his fingers to form the number 20.
Sale surpassed his previous best of 15 strikeouts, dominating the Rockies with a firm fastball and a sharp slider. A seven-time All-Star, Sale struck out the first six batters and fanned eight through three innings. He didn’t allow a runner until Mark Reynolds doubled to begin the fifth.
Sale gave up three hits, including a two-run homer to Nolan Arenado, didn’t walk anyone and left with a 3-2 lead.
The Rockies scored twice in the top of the eighth and the Red Sox answered with one run in the bottom of the inning, leaving the score at 4-4. Colorado won 5-4 in 11 innings.
