All you need to know about the Red Sox' 7-4 win over the White Sox, complete with BSJ insight and analysis:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Bullpen to the rescue: Starter Nick Pivetta gave the Red Sox just 3.2 innings, but four different relievers took care of the rest. After Josh Taylor got the final out in the fourth, Matt Andriese carried the big load, going three innings and allowing just one run -- unearned. "I understand the role and how the team needs it,'' said Andriese, of being the bulk relievers in the bullpen, asked to provide multiple innings in between the starter and late-inning weapons. "I was mentally prepared to keep the team in the ballgame. I knew my job was to minimize damage and go as long as I can.'' Thankfully for the Sox, they haven't needed a long of relief outings with the starters regularly taking them into the fifth or sixth innings, but on an afternoon when the Sox needed some length out of the bullpen, they got it.
Newcomers shine: It wasn't the first homestand of the season, but Saturday was a time for a lot of first-year players to introduce themselves to the fan base and everyone did well in that regard. Enrique Hernandez had a four-hit game, Marwin Gonzalez provided the tie-breaking homer in the eighth as the Sox surged ahead, Andriese provided three innings of solid relief and Adam Ottavino, who took the loss Thursday when the Red Sox saw their nine-game winning streak come to end, had what was by far his strongest outing of the season -- striking out the side in the eighth and needing only 12 pitches to get the job done.
Gonzalez delivers: Until Saturday, Gonzalez hadn't collected so much as an extra-base hit and came into the afternoon batting just .212. The first few at-bats didn't suggest any turnaround, as Gonzalez struck out twice in his first three plate appearances, sandwiched around a walk. But leading off the bottom of the eighth with the game tied, Gonzalez delivered, jumping on a sinker at the top of the strike zone from Codi Heuer and driving it off the back wall of the home bullpen. "I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and get on base for my teammates behind me and try to create a rally,'' said Gonzalez. "I was lucky enough to get a good pitch and hit it out of the ballpark. But that wasn't intentional. I was just trying to get on base.''
TURNING POINT
It could have been demoralizing when the Sox allowed an unearned run in the seventh, allowing the White Sox to tie the game after the Sox had taken their first lead in the bottom of the previous inning. But it didn't take long for the Sox to respond in the bottom of the eighth, starting with the Gonzalez homer, followed shortly by a bases-loaded walk from J.D. Martinez, and finally, a two-run double from Xander Bogaerts.
TWO UP
Kiké Hernández: Hernandez had a slow start to the season, but has been coming on of late at the plate over the last week and broke out in a big way Saturday by banging out four hits and scoring two runs from the top of the lineup.
Xander Bogaerts: Bogaerts hasn't shown much power, but he's been the most consistent hitter since the start of the season and he, too, had a four-hit afternoon, lifting his average to .412 for the season.
ONE DOWN
Nick Pivetta: The streak in which Red Sox starters provided at least five innings was snapped at 10 when Pivetta couldn't get out of the fourth. Control was an issue, with four walks in a short start, leading to a high pitch count.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"I think every single guy (thinks) it's next man up. We go out with an attack mentality and with our offense, we know we just have to keep the guys in the ballgame. Today was a perfect example.'' Andriese on the approach of the team's relievers.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The run against Matt Barnes in the ninth was the first he's allowed this season.
- Two of the Red Sox first four hitters had four-hit games -- Kiké Hernández and Xander Bogaerts
- The win was the team's fourth straight at home.
- Rafael Devers had a sacrifice fly and has knocked in 14 runs over his last 10 games.
- Franchy Cordero leads the outfielders with two assists this season.