Sports

Sale works 5 scoreless in debut, Red Sox lose 3-2 to Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Chris Sale worked five scoreless innings in his season debut, but the Boston bullpen couldn’t hold a two-run lead in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sale had been out all season with a fracture in his right rib cage.

He allowed three hits with one walk and struck out five.

The lefty reached 97 mph on his fastball during a 78-pitch, 53-strike outing.

Corey Kluber allowed two runs and four hits in six innings to beat the Red Sox in consecutive starts.

The Rays went ahead 3-2 on the sixth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Francisco Mejía and two subsequent errors by the Red Sox.