Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

If you missed tonight’s game, here’s the only highlight you need.

Chris Sale striking Javier Baez out on a slider that hit Baez’s back foot.

Sale struck out eight batters across five innings. Allowing two runs in the process.

The Mets lost 12-5 to the Red Sox on Wednesday night in a game that was never close.

Taijuan Walker lasted just two innings, getting charged with six earned runs. His second-half record is now 0-7 with a 7.74 ERA. Walker didn’t have the easiest assignment having to face Kyle Schwarber, who is now 5 for 10 with five home runs against Walker in his career.

Schwarber continued terrorizing New York hitting two home runs in the first two innings.

Outside of Schwarber, the Red Sox lineup had four hits, two walks, and drove in three additional runs. Walker threw 55 pitches to get six outs and complete his all-around terrible night.

But Walker was bumped up a day in the rotation when the Mets had Trevor Williams ready to go. Williams came in for Walker to start the third. He fared just as well.

Across four innings Williams had six runs cross (four earned), allowed eight hits, and walked a batter. Replacing Walker in the third inning, he gave up three runs on back-to-back doubles by J.D. Martinez and Alex Verdugo. Then Jose Iglesias tripled to center, scoring on a throwing error from Baez to make it 9-1.

The runs would come a little more sporadically with only one scoring in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.

The Mets did manage to scrape up five runs of their own. Pete Alonso hit his 35th home run of the year in the seventh inning. Jeff McNeil doubled in the second to score Baez. Francisco Lindor singled to score James McCann in the fifth inning. Luis Guillorme grounded out to score Brandon Nimmo in the ninth.

The last run came from a sacrifice fly double play in the sixth inning. McCann flew out to center fielder Enrique Hernandez, J.D. Davis scored and Jonathan Villar was out at third base trying to advance.

Jeurys Familia and Brad Hand mopped up scoreless innings of relief. Hand even struck out two batters.

Nimmo, Lindor, and McNeil each recorded two hits. Davis entered the lineup as the DH, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Player Of The Game: Brad Hand

Well it’s tough to choose a player of the game when it went so sour so reliever Brad Hand will get the nod for throwing a clean eighth inning. He got Schwarber to fly out then struck out Christian Arroyo and Bobby Dalbec swinging. Hand gets a hand for his performance.