Chris Sale tossed six shutout innings in his first start since the All-Star break, Jackie Bradley Jr. blasted a three-run homer and the Boston Red Sox cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Sale (11-4), who started for the American League for the third consecutive season on Tuesday, gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out nine. He has won his last five starts and has notched at least nine strikeouts in eight consecutive outings.

Steve Pearce and Xander Bogaerts each had two hits and scored two runs, while Andrew Benintendi contributed a two-run triple.

The start of the game was delayed one hour, 35 minutes by rain.

Jeimer Candelario homered for the Tigers. Detroit starter Blaine Hardy (3-3) was charged with four runs and five hits in three-plus innings.

The Red Sox grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second. Pearce led off with a single and Bogaerts lined a double to left, putting runners in scoring position. Groundouts by Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez brought in the runs.

Bradley's big blow in the fourth broke the game open. Pearce and Bogaerts were once again the sparkplugs, as Pearce singled and Bogaerts lined a double off the glove of third baseman Candelario.

Rafael Devers reached on a fielder's choice grounder when first baseman John Hicks threw home while Pearce retreated to third. Drew VerHagen replaced Hardy at that point and gave up an infield single by Nunez, which also bounced off Candelario's glove.

Devers was tagged out on the play while heading to third when Bogaerts was stopped at the bag. Bradley then drilled an opposite-field shot into the left-field stands for his seventh homer of the season to make it 6-0.

The Red Sox scored three more runs off Detroit's bullpen in the seventh. Sandy Leon walked and Mookie Betts singled before Benintendi drilled his opposite-field triple. He scored on J.D. Martinez's sacrifice fly to give Boston a 9-0 lead.

Candelario ended the Red Sox's shutout bid in the bottom of the inning with his solo shot off Brandon Workman.

--Field Level Media