McAdam: Red Sox take full advantage of White Sox mistakes for third straight win

Sometimes, as was the case Saturday night, a team makes its own breaks.

When the Red Sox erupted for 10 straight hits and nine runs in the third inning of their 15-2 victory, they hit the ball all over -- and sometimes out of -- Guaranteed Rate Field. Sure, you could put plenty of blame on White Sox starter Manny Banuelos, who allowed hit after hit after hit. And maybe some on manager Rick Renteria, who allowed Banuelos to remain on the mound after as the Red Sox hit everything he threw up there.

But the Sox earned that win with their big outburst.

Then there are days like Sunday, when the other team all but invites you to beat them.



The Red Sox and White Sox were tied 2-2 in the eighth inning when the circus -- in the form of the White Sox defense -- came to town.

Rafael Devers lined a ball off the wall in left that caromed directly to left fielder Nicky Delmonico. Devers was thinking double out of the box, but the ball caromed directly to Delmonico, who got the ball back to the infield as Devers was making a wide turn at first. Shortstop Tim Anderson fired to first in an attempt to nab Devers, but the throw skipped past first baseman Jose Abreu just as Devers was hustling back to the bag.

Devers then took off for second and Abreu threw there, but that throw, too, sailed wide and ended up in shallow left as Devers, already exhausted, got up and dashed for third.

You could almost hear the theme music from Benny Hill playing in the background.

But the White Sox weren't through making things easy on the Red Sox. In between a seeing-eye single to right by Mitch Moreland which scored Devers, reliever Kelvin Herrera issued two walks, filling the bases.

That's when the Red Sox' good fortune took over. Pinch-hitter Eduardo Nunez hit a slow roller that hugged the third base line as if in slow motion before finally striking the bag as a fair ball. That forced in another run and the Sox were now ahead by two and still had the bases loaded.

"The BABIP (batting average on balls in play) gods helped us out at one point,'' joked Alex Cora.

Out went Herrera and in came Caleb Frare, who fell behind 3-and-0 before throwing ball four behind Andrew Benintendi's head for the third run of the inning.

That's when Xander Bogaerts finished the White Sox off with a grand slam that just cleared the fence in left, a few feet inside the foul pole.

If you're keeping score at home, that inning featured two throwing errors and three walks -- one with the bases loaded. Had the White Sox sent out engraved invitations, they couldn't have been more welcome hosts to the Red Sox.

In the short-term, the win gave the Red Sox a win and a win of their series, along with their sixth victory in their last seven tries. In the big picture, it served as a reminder to the Sox that there exists a lot of bad teams in the American League, some of which are capable of handing over a game when you least expect it.

Had Devers not bobbled a routine ground ball Thursday night, the Red Sox very likely would have secured themselves a sweep of the four-game series and be in possession of a seven-game winning streak.

As it is, the Sox took 3 of 4 and are now just a game under .500 at 17-18.

"We feel good where we're at,'' concluded Cora. "As a team, it's getting better. We still have stuff that we have to clean up to get where we want to go. But we're almost there at neutral. Run differential -- I know that's a big topic for everybody -- we're even. So, on we go.''

Indeed, they do.

Next up: three games with the Baltimore Orioles, who are tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in the American League. Who knows what gifts they have in store for the Red Sox, who suddenly are playing well enough to take full advantage of the various offerings made to them by the game's many poor teams.