Four Chicago White Sox pitchers combined to allow the visiting Boston Red Sox just five hits Friday night, and offensively a pair of homeruns helped lead Chicago to a 6-1 win at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Chicago (54-81) took an early 3-0 lead on an RBI double by Avisail Garcia in the bottom of the first, followed later by a Yoan Moncada two run homer off Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi. The game was delayed by rain for over 2 hours in the bottom of the third. Chicago put the game out of reach in the seventh inning when Matt Davidson hit a three run homer off Sox reliever Tyler Thornburg. Andrew Benintendi hit a solo homer in the eighth for the only Boston offense to break the shutout bid. Mookie Betts, Beninitendi, Xander Bogaerts, Eduardo Nunez, and Ian Kinsler all had a hit each for the Red Sox, who drop to 93-43. Davidson and Garcia had three hits a piece for the White Sox.
Eovaldi (5-7) took the loss allowing three runs on three hits in 2.0 innings. Drew Pomeranz kept Boston in the game going the next 4.0 innings, allowing no runs, seven hits, with six strikeouts. Thornburg gave up the three runs in the seventh inning on the Davidson homer, while Brandon Workman pitched a perfect eighth. Former Boston prospect Michael Kopech allowed no runs and just one hit for Chicago over 3.0 innings. Dylan Covey (5-12) earned the win going the next 3.0 innings, allowing no runs, three hits, with three strikeouts. Juan Minaya earned his seventh hold, and allowed one run, one hit, with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings.
Eduardo Rodriguez returns from the DL on Saturday at 7:10 to take the ball for Boston. He will be opposed by Chicagos Carlos Rodon in game three of the series.
