Dallas Keuchel enjoyed his best start of the season and Jose Abreu belted a key two-run double on Sunday afternoon as the visiting Chicago White Sox edged the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, to complete a three-game sweep.
Keuchel (2-3) allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one. Chicago extended its winning streak to six games and pushed Boston’s losing streak to five.
There was drama in the ninth inning when J.D. Martinez led off with a double off the wall in left field off Jose Ruiz. But with two outs, rookie left-hander Bennett Sousa came in and retired pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki on a fly ball to center field for his first MLB save.
The White Sox turned to Sousa because closer Liam Hendriks had five saves in six days.
Keuchel kept the Red Sox off the board until the sixth inning. Rafael Devers, who had three hits, singled and scored on Martinez’s RBI groundout. With two outs, Christian Vazquez’s run-scoring single trimmed Chicago’s advantage to one run.
Chicago’s bullpen threw three shutout innings. In the eighth inning, right-hander Matt Foster struck out Trevor Story, Devers and Xander Bogaerts in order.
Tanner Houck started for Boston in place of Michael Wacha, who landed on the 15-day injured list with left intercostal irritation.
Houck made his first start since April 21, and his seventh appearance (four starts). Because Houck threw 2 1/3 innings on Thursday, the Red Sox made Sunday a “bullpen game.”
All the runs the White Sox needed came in the third inning. Reese McGuire singled to open the inning and scored on Leury Garcia’s RBI single, and Abreu laced a two-run, two-out double to left.
Houck (2-3) was charged with three runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The game was delayed 20 minutes with one out in the fourth inning due to an umpire injury. Home plate umpire Ron Kulpa was struck in the mask by a Jake Burger foul ball. Shaken, he was tended to by the medical staff before first base umpire Marty Foster replaced Kulpa behind the plate.
–Field Level Media