A siren blared at Citizens Bank Park in the middle of the fifth inning. "ATTENTION! ATTENTION!" it said on the scoreboard, as a recorded woman's voice repeated across the stadium, telling people to evacuate the ballpark. Chris Sale stood on the mound Thursday night, and this would not stop him. The game continued.
Nick Pivetta wanted no such delay, either. The rookie Phillies righthander, matched against baseball's strikeout leader, submitted the best Phillies start of the season. He had not thrown a pitch beyond the fifth inning in any of his first six starts in the majors, then completed seven scoreless innings against a potent Boston lineup.