TORONTO — Luke Maile ruined the night for Chris Sale in the seventh inning with a game-tying home run. Then he took care of the rest of the Red Sox in the 12th inning.
Maile’s two-run homer off Brian Johnson gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-3 victory against the Sox on Friday night.
All that from a .204 career hitter who before Friday had five home runs in 339 at-bats, none this season.
“A game-tying home run in the seventh and then walked it off? When it’s your night, it’s your night,’’ said Sale, who struck out 15 without a walk but could not get a win.
A day after the Red Sox left New York following an uplifting victory against the Yankees, their clubhouse at Rogers Centre was downcast after Sale’s effort was wasted.
Now the responsibility falls on David Price to give the Sox a boost on Saturday. He returns to the rotation after being scratched from his start against the Yankees on Wednesday for what was said to be a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The Sox are 4-4 on their road trip with losses in three of the last four games.
With the Yankees losing, the Sox remain tied with New York for the lead in the American League. But that was meaningless considering the Sox failed to score over the final eight innings against Toronto. They had one hit after the fourth inning.
“We had some counts in our favor and didn’t do too much,’’ manager Alex Cora said.
Johnson (1-2) started the 12th inning by walking Curtis Granderson on four pitches, none close to the strike zone. Johnson’s first pitch to Maile was low, but he drove it over the wall in right-center.
“It’s not a good feeling. It sucks. I’ve got to be better than that,’’ Johnson said.
Johnson has given up 11 runs on 13 hits — three of them home runs — over six innings in his last five games. With Steven Wright due to rejoin the team next week and Tyler Thornburg also on his way back, Johnson’s roster spot could be in danger.
Sale went nine innings for the first time since Sept. 16, 2016, as a member of the White Sox. He allowed three runs on six hits. He threw 85 of 116 pitches for strikes.
Of the 15 strikeouts, 14 were swinging. Sale had 26 swings and misses in all, his slider better than it has been all season.
Sale joined Pedro Martinez (four times) and Roger Clemens (three times) as the only Red Sox pitchers with at least 15 strikeouts and no walks.
“Did they win those games?’’ Sale asked.
Told they did, Sale grimaced.
“I needed to be better,’’ he said.
Sale is the first pitcher with at least 15 strikeouts and no walks not to record a win since James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays was beaten, 1-0, by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012.
Sale allowed two runs on four hits and committed an error in the first two innings.
Teoscar Hernandez doubled in the first inning and scored when Josh Donaldson singled. Kendrys Morales started the second inning with a double, moved to third on a fly ball, and scored on a single by Maile.
Morales snapped an 0-for-28 slump with the double.
Sale’s throwing error extended the inning but he struck out Donaldson to end it.
It was the first of 15 consecutive outs recorded by Sale, eight by strikeout. From the third inning to the sixth, Sale retired nine batters on 44 pitches.
But Sale lost a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning when Maile homered to left field on a two-seam fastball that was too high.
Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez needed 95 pitches to get through five innings as he put eight runners on base. But only three scored.
Mookie Betts drew a walk to start the game and went to third when Andrew Benintendi dropped a single into right field. Betts scored when J.D. Martinez grounded to first base.
The Sox ran themselves out of a scoring chance in the third inning.
Hanley Ramirez walked with two outs before Martinez lined a shot to right-center. The ball struck the wall, less than a foot from going out.
Ramirez should have been running harder with two outs and when he got to third, coach Carlos Febles threw up both hands to stop him.
But Ramirez kept going and was thrown out at the plate.
Center fielder Kevin Pillar played the carom off the wall, hit cutoff man Lourdes Gurriel on the fly and his throw to Maile at the plate was perfect.
Xander Bogaerts led off the fourth inning with a home run into the batter’s eye in center field. With two outs and Brock Holt on first base, Sandy Leon struck out.
But the ball got by Maile and he lost track of it as Leon ran to first. Maile then sailed the ball over the head of 6-foot-4-inch first baseman Justin Smoak. Holt scored the go-ahead run.
Sam Gaviglio, pitching in the majors for the first time this season, went three innings for the win in his Blue Jays debut.
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
