The Chicago White Sox were close to securing a win in the final game of their series against the Boston Red Sox. However, Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning extended the game into extra innings. The match concluded in the 13th inning with Caleb Durbin’s walk-off RBI single, giving the Red Sox a 12-11 victory at Fenway Park, witnessed by a sellout crowd of 37,082.
White Sox manager Will Venable acknowledged the Red Sox’s challenging presence, stating, “It’s the hardest team to beat right now.” The White Sox experienced their first season sweep against the Red Sox, losing all six games.
Despite a strong performance by Chase Meidroth, who hit two two-run home runs, the White Sox fell short. Meidroth remarked on the intense playoff atmosphere, expressing disappointment over the loss.
The Red Sox maintained their impressive form, winning their eighth consecutive game. Currently, they have won 31 of their last 36 games.
Compounding the White Sox’s troubles, catcher Joey Bart left the game due to a fractured left hand, a setback confirmed by manager Venable.
Despite the defeat, the White Sox retain a three-game lead over second-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. They now prepare for a series against the Guardians at Rate Field.
Thursday’s game saw the White Sox take an early lead with four runs in the third inning, featuring a Meidroth home run and Colson Montgomery’s RBI. The Red Sox responded with Connor Wong’s two-run homer, narrowing the gap.
Sam Antonacci helped increase the lead with a pinch-hit RBI double, while Luis Castillo made his debut, allowing five runs and achieving five strikeouts.
The White Sox regained the lead in the fifth, assisted by a throwing error from Justin Slaten. However, the Red Sox continued to apply pressure, including Masataka Yoshida’s RBI double.
White Sox reliever Grant Taylor showed resilience, managing two scoreless innings and preventing further Red Sox scoring.
The ninth inning saw the Red Sox level the score through Abreu’s single. Meidroth’s second home run in the 10th temporarily gave the White Sox an edge which the Red Sox later negated.
Both teams added runs during the 11th and 12th innings. However, opportunities to widen the lead were missed.
The game concluded in the 13th inning with Durbin’s decisive hit.
Manager Venable emphasized the need for improvement as the White Sox face more challenging games ahead. “There’s a bunch of stuff that, obviously, we’ve got to do a better job of,” he stated.
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