CHICAGO -- All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 6-1 loss to the White Sox, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Offense silenced: After averaging more than 10 runs over their previous three games, the Sox bats were quieted in a big way by four different White Sox pitchers. The Sox had a mere five hits all night -- just two of them for extra bases -- and didn't get on the scoreboard until the eighth inning. The Sox had their chances on occasions, putting the leadoff man on base in three different innings, but couldn't take advantage when they had some opportunities. They stranded six men and were hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position. In each of the previous three wins. Boston had mounted big comebacks in the final three innings of the game, but on this night, they generated just two baserunners and only one base hit over the final four frames.
No improvement for Eovaldi: On Thursday, Alex Cora said the Sox would make some adjustments with their infield shifts to re-position fielders for lefthanded hitters with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. But nothing the Sox did in the first two innings -- Eovaldi, naturally, didn't return after a rain delay of more than two hours -- helped change the outcome for him. He was tagged for two hits and three runs in the first and a double in the second before his night was complete. Over his last four starts, opposing hitters are batting .364 against him and his ERA is 7.27. "We need to make adjustments,'' said Cora of Eovaldi. "We have to. His stuff is too good to be hit like that with two strikes. We need this guy to be good. We've got to fix him. We've got to find something. Maybe he's throwing too many strikes.'' Despite being roughed up, Eovaldi will come back Monday and start in Atlanta, in place of David Price, who is sidelined with a wrist contusion.
Betts runs into huge out: The Red Sox seemed to have Michael Kopech on the ropes in the first after he hit Mookie Betts with the first pitch, then walked Andrew Benintendi on four pitches. But with two on and no out, Betts foolishly got caught leaning the wrong way in an effort to steal third and was picked off by Kopech. Getting that first out seemed to settle the rookie down and he got the next two hitters to escape unscathed. "It was a bad decision,'' said Cora, "and (Betts) knows it. (Kopech) was under control with that play, and after that, he was able to breathe.''
TURNING POINT
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, the Red Sox got singles from Xander Bogaerts and Eduardo Nunez, giving them runners at first and second with no out. But that was as far as the threat went as reliever Dylan Covey returned the next three hitters, stranding both baserunners.
TWO UP
Drew Pomeranz: Pomeranz had plenty of traffic on the bases, with seven hits allowed over four innings, but he managed to keep the White Sox off the scoreboard, taking over for Eovaldi after a two-hour, nine-minute rain delay.
Andrew Benintendi: There wasn't much offense generated, but Benintendi ensured that the Sox wouldn't be shutout with a solo homer in the eighth.
ONE DOWN
Tyler Thornburg: The game was nominally within reach at 3-0 when Thornburg took over for Eovaldi in the bottom of the seventh. But Thornburg allowed a walk and a single, and with two out, threw a 94 mph four-seamer over the heart of the plate, which Matt Davidson golfed out to left, doubling Chicago's lead.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"He said he found something during his last one in Tampa, and if that's the case, the timing is perfect.''
β Alex Cora on Drew Pomeranz, who's 2.98 ERA over his last eight outings.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Red Sox are 1-5 in their last six road games.
- The loss marked the 17th time this season that the Sox have been limited to one or no runs.
- The homer for Benintendi was his first since Aug. 10.
- Both Xander Bogaerts and Rick Porcello were ejected by home plate umpire Will Little.