Jose Abreu hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning as the Chicago White Sox avoided a three-game sweep by beating the host Boston Red Sox 8-7 on Wednesday afternoon.
Abreu battled Boston reliever Matt Barnes (3-3) in a 10-pitch at-bat, fouling off six offerings before taking a 2-2 pitch over the Green Monster and out of the park. His one-out blast drove in Yolmer Sanchez, who had singled.
Abreu finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs. His homer, his 19th of the season, spoiled an eighth-inning comeback by the Red Sox, who trailed by three runs on three occasions before cutting the deficit to 6-4 in the seventh on J.D. Martinez’s RBI double.
The Red Sox scored three in the eighth after closer Alex Colome came in with runners on second and third with one out. Eduardo Nunez scored from third on a fielder’s choice, and Xander Bogaerts later delivered a two-run single up the middle to give Boston a 7-6 lead.
Colome (3-1) worked around a leadoff walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. in the bottom of the ninth to finish the game.
James McCann drove in two runs for Chicago, which scored three in the first inning against former White Sox ace Chris Sale. McCann added a solo home run to lead off the third.
Boston got two runs back in the bottom of the first inning on Martinez’s 17th home run of the season.
Sale gave up five runs and six hits in six innings. He walked one, hit two — both came around to score — and struck out 10, marking the 10th time in his past 13 starts with double-digit strikeouts.
White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez pitched six innings, allowing three runs while scattering nine hits and a walk. He struck out three.
Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright pitched a scoreless eighth inning in his season debut. He was activated Tuesday from the restricted list after he served an 80-game suspension without pay for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Chicago third baseman Yoan Moncada left the game in the first inning with a right knee contusion after being hit by a slider from Sale. The White Sox announced his status as day-to-day.
–Field Level Media
