PHILADELPHIA — Pinch-hitter Ty Kelly doubled home the only run in the eighth inning of a pitchers’ duel between Philadelphia’s Nick Pivetta and Boston’s Chris Sale to lead the Phillies to a 1-0 victory over the Red Sox on Thursday night.
Sale (8-3) was cruising until a one-out single by Andrew Knapp set the stage for Kelly’s game-winning hit that ended the Phillies’ eight-game losing streak. Kelly lined a slider into the left-field corner. Andrew Benintendi’s throw sailed over the cutoff man and was a tad late, allowing Knapp to score from first for the only run of the game.
Sale allowed four hits with 10 strikeouts, upping his major league-leading total to 136. It was his 44th career double-digit strikeout game and ninth this season.
Pat Neshek (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning of relief of Pivetta and Hector Neris earned his sixth save in seven tries with a scoreless ninth to help Philadelphia win its first interleague game of the season.
The Phillies salvaged a game in the four-game home and home series with the Red Sox to improve to 1-8 in interleague games.
Pivetta had the best start of his young career, going past the fifth inning for the first time in his seventh start. He allowed four hits in seven innings and nearly matched Sale with nine strikeouts against two walks.
The Red Sox threatened in the eighth against Neshek when Sale led off with a double, his first career extra-base hit that drew the large contingent of visiting Red Sox fans to their feet. Sale went to third on Mookie Betts’ lineout to right field, but Neshek struck out Dustin Pedroia and got Xander Bogaerts to pop out in foul territory to first baseman Tommy Joseph to end the threat.
Pedroia finished 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, ending his streak of five straight multi-hit games.
Joseph singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: 1B Mitch Moreland returned after he was out of the lineup on Wednesday after getting hit by a pitch on the left foot in Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia. … RHP Tyler Thornburg will undergo season-ending surgery on Friday for thoracic outlet syndrome. Thornburg hasn’t pitched all season after feeling discomfort in his throwing shoulder this spring. … RHP Carson Smith will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday at Triple-A Pawtucket. Smith hasn’t pitched this year after having Tommy John surgery last season.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (6-4, 4.48) pitches for Boston against Astros RHP Mike Fiers (4-2, 4.29) on Friday night in the first of a three-game set in Houston.
Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (3-4, 4.40) opens a three-game home series against Arizona on Friday night. LHP Patrick Corbin (5-6, 5.38) goes for the Diamondbacks.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Ty Kelly watches his RBI double off Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale during the eighth inning Thursday, June 15, 2017, in Philadelphia. The Phillies won 1-0.
AP
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