Red Sox overpower Orioles in three-game series finale

Andrew Benintendi hit a solo homer with two outs in the top of the 12th inning to give the visiting Boston Red Sox a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game series. Benintendi crushed a 2-1 fastball from Yefry Ramirez (0-1) into the seats in right-centre and snapped a 1-1 tie. The Orioles now have given up a major-league high 80 homers this season.

Ryan Brasier (2-1) earned the victory by pitching the 11th. Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. helped the right-hander in the 11th by making a leaping catch at the wall to rob Trey Mancini of a game-winning homer. Heath Hembree struck out the side in the 12th and picked up his first save. Boston pitchers fanned 22 Orioles in this game.

Baltimore starter Andrew Cashner came away with a no-decision but gave up one run on four hits in six innings, striking out five with one walk. Chris Sale turned in his second consecutive strong start. He had not won until his last start when the left-hander beat the White Sox but this time he threw 5 2/3 no-hit innings to begin the game.

Overall, the big left-hander struck out 14 without a walk in eight innings. Sale gave up one run on three hits, got out of some trouble in the eighth inning and threw 80 strikes on 108 pitches. Despite that performance, Sale, like Cashner, came away with a no-decision. The sale also had an immaculate inning in the seventh when he had nine pitches, nine strikes and three strikeouts -- the fifth time in team history a pitcher has done that.

Mookie Betts gave Boston a 1-0 lead on a home run that came with two outs in the top of the third. Sale kept the Orioles quiet until the sixth. Joey Rickard started a two-out rally with his single to centre -- Baltimore's first hit of the game. Mancini followed with a double to centre that brought Rickard in from first and tied the game at 1-1. The Orioles wasted a chance to win the game in the ninth. They put runners on first and third with one out, but Matt Barnes escaped and the game went to extra innings. 

(With inputs from agencies.)