the joy of sox: G16: Red Sox 3, White Sox 1

April 17, 2014

G16: Red Sox 3, White Sox 1

Red Sox   - 000 001 002 - 3  5  0
White Sox - 000 001 000 - 1  8  0

Jon Lester (8-7-1-0-9, 112) retired the first 16 Chicago batters and the Red Sox bats - non-existent again through eight innings - awoke in the ninth, with David Ross's double snapping a 1-1 tie.

After Wednesday night's 14-inning game, Boston needed Lester to pitch deep into the game - and the lefty delivered. The White Sox did not hit a ball out of the infield until the fifth inning. After Xander Bogaerts homered to deep left off Chris Sale (7-1-1-3-10, 127) in the top of the sixth (444 feet), Lester surrendered three straight hits (to Chicago's 8-9-1 hitters) as the White Sox immediately tied the game.

Chicago put the pressure on in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, Adam Dunn singled and attempted to score from first on Alejandro De Aza's two-out double. Daniel Nava got the ball out of the right field corner and Dustin Pedroia relayed it on to David Ross, who put the tag on Dunn, who by the time he rounded third had lost almost all of whatever speed he possessed. In the eighth, facing a first-and-third situation, Lester fanned Dayan Viciedo to escape trouble.

Boston managed only one hit through the first 8.1 innings (X's HR). But Mike Napoli reached on an infield hit to third off reliever Ronald Belisairo and pinch-hitter Mike Carp laced a single to left, setting the stage for Ross's run-scoring double. Daniel Nava was walked intentionally and Scott Downs came in to face Jonathan Herrera, who was hitting for Ryan Roberts. Herrera bunted the first pitch down the first base line and Downs simply stood and watched it - and it stayed on the grass for a single. Pinch-runner Grady Sizemore crossed with Boston's third run.

Koji Uehara, making his first appearance since missing a few games with shoulder tightness, pitched the ninth without fanfare. He gave up a two-out single, but retired pinch-hitter Jose Abreu on a hard grounder to third to end the game.

The Red Sox (7-9) head home for a weekend series against the Orioles, a four-game set that includes Monday's Patriots Day contest.