All you need to know about the Red Sox' 5-1 loss, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Offense almost non-existent: When it takes a leadoff walk in the fourth inning to register your first baserunner of the game, it's probably a sign that this isn't going to be your best day offensively. Sure enough, what little the Sox managed to do at the plate was pretty much limited to that inning, when the Sox scored their only run of the game. In four of the seven innings -- including the first three against former Sox farmhand Michael Kopech -- the Sox went down in order; in two others, they sent just four men to the plate. In only one, the fourth, did they get a baserunner past second base. The Red Sox showed little patience at the plate, with just one walk and never strung together much of a threat. Some credit should go to the White Sox pitching staff, which executed its game plan to near perfection. But too often, the Red Sox failed to put the ball in play when they needed to -- eight strikeouts in just seven innings -- and too few balls were barreled up.
Perez has his worst start to date: Alex Cora joked that he selected Tanner Houck to pitch the first game Sunday and saved Martin Perez for the 5:10 p.m. start in the second game because Perez didn't strike him as a "morning person.'' Turns out, he's not much of twilight person, either. Perez allowed hits to the first three hitters he faced in the first inning and spotted the White Sox a run. Then after seemingly figuring some things out over the next two frames, he got right back into trouble in the fourth, allowing a leadoff homer into the center field bleachers to Yermin Mercedes followed by two more hits, resulting in the hook from Cora. Both the hits and runs allowed were season highs for Perez, whom the Sox have been challenging to pitch more within the strike zone, but the command wasn't precise enough Sunday for that to be a successful approach.
TURNING POINT
After Kopech set them down in order through the first three innings, the Red Sox appeared to stir some in the fourth. A walk and a single gave them first-and-second and J.D. Martinez singled home one run to get the Red Sox on the board. But the next three hitters -- Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Marwin Gonzalez -- were each retired on either a popup or flyout and the Sox wasted a good opportunity. The Sox had just two more baserunners over the final three innings.
ONE UP
J.D. Martinez: There weren't many heroes on the Red Sox side of things, so Martinez gets the nod for his single to center in the fourth, which accounted for the only run of the game.
TWO DOWN:
Hunter Renfroe: It was a futile game at the plate for the outfielder, who fanned in all three plate appearances.
Rafael Devers: Devers didn't have a quality at-bat all game, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout, an infield pop-up and groundout, stranding three baserunners along the way.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Phillips Valdez was the only Red Sox pitcher to appear in both ends of the doubleheader. He retired all nine hitters he faced over the two games.
- The doubleheader sweep was the first at Fenway for the Red Sox since April 23, 2019 against Detroit.
- J.D. Martinez has 18 RBI, the most for a Red Sox hitter through the first 16 games since 2003 when Shea Hillenbrand had 20.
- Xander Bogaerts had his second ground-rule double down the right field line in the last three games.