the joy of sox: G93: Red Sox 3, White Sox 1

July 19, 2012

G93: Red Sox 3, White Sox 1

White Sox - 000 100 000 - 1  8  0
Red Sox   - 000 000 003 - 3  8  0

With one swing of the bat, Cody Ross erased all frustration over a couple of wasted scoring opportunities earlier in the game. His three-run home run off Addison Reed - Ross's third three-run bomb in two games - gave the Red Sox a walk-off win in what had been a tight pitchers' duel between Jose Quintana (8-5-0-0-2, 103) and Clay Buchholz (8-6-1-1-6, 107).

Both starters were on their game and it seemed like the play of the game would be Adam Dunn's daring first-to-third dash in the fourth inning, and a subsequent sacrifice fly.

Dunn walked to start the fourth and he sprinted to third when Paul Konerko chopped a single through the infield and into right. Ross's throw to Will Middlebrooks was perfect, but just an eyelash or two late. Alex Rios then lifted a fly ball to right and Dunn scored.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox could do nothing with Quintana. Boston's only base runner in the first six innings was Pedro Ciriaco's two-out triple in the third.

But they threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Three consecutive singles from Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Ross loaded the bases with one out. Middlebrooks grounded a ball to shortstop; Alexei Ramirez broke right, but the ball went to his left. He recovered instantly, grabbed the ball and threw to second from one knee, starting a 6-4-3 double play.

In the eighth, Mike Aviles singled with one out. Ciriaco popped out to right and after Aviles took second on a wild pitch, Jacoby Ellsbury grounded to short to end the inning.

Alfredo Aceves took over for Buchholz in the ninth and wiggled in and out of some trouble. With two outs, Dayan Viciedo singled and Gordon Beckham hit a ground-rule double to right (if the ball had stayed in the field of play, Viciedo would have scored easily). With men at second and third, Eduardo Escobar grounded to second for the third out.

Matt Thornton began the ninth for Chicago. Carl Crawford lined a single to right, and was then forced at second by Pedroia. Gonzalez grounded an 0-2 pitch into right for a hit and Pedroia stopped at second. Reed came in from the pen and Nick Punto ran for Gonzalez.

Ross looked at a ball and a strike before launching an inside fastball over the Wall in left. In the last two games, Ross has five hits, including a double and three home runs, four runs scored, and nine RBI.

Aceves is the guy tossing the Gatorade on his teammates.

It was a celebration, you know. Everybody has his own style. There's nothing wrong with that. It's a good thing that we win and we've got to celebrate. When are we going to celebrate? Tomorrow? No. Right after we win.