Kelly spoils Sale’s gem

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.

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 doubledigit strikeout game and ninth this season.

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.

NATIONALS 8, METS 3: Bryce Harper hit a home run so hard that it twice sailed over the head of right fielder Jay Bruce, propelling Gio Gonzalez and visiting Washington past New York. Harper’s 17th home run left the bat at 116.3 mph.

INDIANS 12, DODGERS 5: Pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall connected for a three-run homer and had five RBIs as Cleveland salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a rout of visiting Los Angeles.

BREWERS 6, CARDINALS 4: Eric Thames hit his 18th homer of the season off St. Louis closer Seung Hwan Oh in the ninth, breaking a 4-4 tie as visiting Milwaukee won its second straight series against its AL Central rivals.

WHITE SOX 5, ORIOLES 2: Rookie Matt Davidson homered for the fourth straight game, then doubled and scored in a four-run sixth inning to help host Chicago hand Baltimore its seventh loss in eight games.

TWINS 6, MARINERS 2: Chris Gimenez homered twice for the first time in his big league career, and Eduardo Escobar’s two-run shot sparked a five-run first inning that helped Minnesota top visiting Seattle.

TIGERS 5, RAYS 3: Miguel Cabrera’s two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning gave Detroit a victory over visiting Tampa Bay.