Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, shown here in an earlier game this season, returned to the starting lineup Monday night at Fenway Park against the Chicago White Sox. Photo courtesy of Delaney Gardner
Marco Hernandez hit a two out infield single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night scoring Andrew Benintendi, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park.
Former Red Sox property Yoan Moncada got the White Sox off to a fast start, lining a towering two run homer to left off Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the top of the second to make it 2-0. Jackie Bradley Jr. got one back in the bottom of the second with his eighth homer of the season, a solo shot to centerfield to cut it to 2-1. Boston (43-37) tied it with a two out RBI single from Eduardo Nunez in the bottom of the fifth. Another solo homer this time put the White Sox ahead in the top of the sixth inning, when Jose Abreu launched one off the National Car Rental sign above the monster seats in left to make it 3-2 Chicago.
Michael Chavis walked with the bases loaded in the home half of the sixth to once again tie the game 3-3. Yonder Alonso and Yolmer Sanchez both had RBI singles to regain a two run lead for Chicago (36-40) in the seventh at 5-3. Mookie Betts hit a long solo homer to center in the bottom half, and Nunez did it again with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth making it 5-5. In the bottom of the ninth Benintendi led off with a double. JD Martinez then struck out, and Rafael Devers grounded out to first. Chicago then intentionally walked Xander Bogaerts with Benintendi at third. Then after after reliever Jace Fry fell behind Bradley Jr 3-1, they also intentionally walked Bradley to load the bases. Hernandez then hit one to shortstop Tim Anderson deep in the hole. His low throw to first couldn’t be scooped by first baseman Abreu, but would of been late anyhow as Boston celebrated the walkoff win. Hernandez had entered the game as a pinch runner for Christian Vazquez in the eighth inning.
Nunez, Bogaerts, and Benintendi all had two hits a piece in the Red Sox win. Bradley Jr reached four times with a homer and three walks. Brandon Workman (7-1) only went 1/3 of an inning to pick up the win in relief. Rodriguez got a no decision allowing five runs on six hits in 6.1 innings. Marcus Walden, Colten Brewer, Josh Taylor, and Workman combined for 3.2 innings of no run and two hit relief with six strikeouts. Moncada and James McCann each had two hits for the White Sox. Kelvin Herrera was charged with a blown save, and Fry (1-3) pitched the ninth and took the loss.
Game two of the three game series is on Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m. David Price will toe the rubber for Boston, while Chicago counters with Carson Fulmer.
