Red Sox recap: Walker Buehler’s impressive Patriots' Day debut, Kristian Campbell’s key at-bat leads Sox to series win

Walker Buehler was impressive in his first Patriots' Day start as a member of the Red Sox.

The White Sox attacked the righty quickly in the first inning with two singles and then scored a run, but Buehler shut down their lineup after that, working around traffic on the base paths, leading the Sox to a 4-2 win.

In the first inning, Nick Maton singled, advanced to third on Andrew Benintendi's single, and later scored when Edgar Quero rolled a grounder to second base.

The only other time the White Sox had traffic on the base paths where they could have done some damage off Buehler came in the third when he opened the frame with back-to-back walks to Maton and Benintendi and then struck out Luis Robert Jr. and Quero swinging before Lenyn Sosa popped to shortstop.

Buehler went seven innings, allowing just one run off four hits while walking three and striking out nine batters. It was the longest outing for Buehler since May 8, 2022.

He threw 100 pitches, 63 of them for strikes, with 11 swings and misses. He led his arsenal with 30 four-seam fastballs, incorporating his cutter, sinker, sweeper, and knuckle curve to keep the ChiSox off balance.

“Electric,” said Kristian Campbell on playing behind Buehler on Marathon Monday. “He’s a great pitcher. Anytime I get to be behind him, it’s a great day.”

“Obviously an important day for the city and one that we need to win and we’re supposed to win on this day, in this place,” Buehler said.

KRISTIAN CAMPBELL’S BEST BIG LEAGUE AT-BAT

Campbell had his best at-bat as a big leaguer in the third inning with bases loaded in a one-run game. Down in the count 0-2 to White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon, the rookie worked the count back into his favor, laying off pitches and getting the count back in his favor to 3-2.

Campbell slapped a hard single into right field that would score two runs, putting the Sox on top 4-1.

“I stay confident and try to stay as consistent as possible,” Campbell said about his at-bat against Cannon. “That’s really it; try not to think too hard about it, and take one pitch at a time.”

It was an eight-pitch battle, and with one swing he had the biggest hit of his big league career. He has now reached base safely in 21 of his last 22 games and ranks second among rookies in batting average (.316). He is tied for first in extra-base hits with eight and second with 38 total bases. Campbell also has hits in three straight games.

What was it like playing on Marathon Monday?

“Everything,” said Campbell on playing in front of the fans at Fenway Park on Monday. The fans, the people, the city. Everything that was going on was great today.”

ROB REFSNYDER’S BLAST

In the second inning, veteran Rob Refsnyder jumped all over a 95.2 mph fastball that was left up in the zone off Cannon and deposited it 397 feet into the Green Monster seats.

His first blast of the season left his bat at 103.4 mph, and it tied the game 1-1. That was the Sox’ left-handed hitting specialist’s 10th career home run off a right-handed pitcher.

“Rob has [young kids], so he’s used to getting up early,” Cora said before the game.

JUSTIN SLATEN SLAMS THE DOOR

In the eighth, Benintendi hit his second homer of the series, belting a 99.8 mph slider from Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman into the corner seats in right field.

The homer was the second Chapman has surrendered to a White Sox hitter this season, the first coming off the bat of Robert Jr. in Chicago last weekend.

“They had two lefties up there,” Cora said. “Obviously, they pinch-hit with Bobby (Dalbec) but it felt like that was a pocket for him and we used him there.”

Chapman began the inning by striking out former Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec on a 101 mph fastball.

When Cora has used Chapman in the eighth, he’s gone to Justin Slaten as his ninth-inning option, and the righty recorded his third save with a clean 1-2-3 ninth.

“We talked to them before spring training was over,” Cora said. “There’s certain teams we’re going to circle that have lefties on top of the lineup. We’re going to use them in the eighth. It’s very simple.

“With Chappy, it’s very simple: ‘Let me know when, in advance, and I’ll do it.’”

MARATHON DAY NOTABLES

Triston Casas, who sent Red Sox fans home with a walk-off win in extra innings on Saturday, has been largely ineffective at the plate this year and has essentially been an automatic out in the Sox lineup.

Casas went 0-for-4 on Monday, grounding into a double play in the second, flying out to center field in his next two at-bats, and grounding out to second in the eighth. The Sox first baseman helped complete a 1-4 inning-ending double play to end the fifth.

Jarren Duran dropped an easy out in the eighth inning on a fly ball off the bat of Robert Jr. It was his third error of the season and another mental mistake that luckily didn’t cost the Red Sox in the later innings against the pesky White Sox.

Alex Bregman was 1-for-2 with two walks, and he made a couple of nice barehanded plays in the field defensively. Trevor Story was 3-for-4, and the two reached base six times in the win over Chicago.

RED SOX ROSTER

The Red Sox pitching staff will be getting a boost on Tuesday when the club activates right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello off the 15-day injured list.

Bello has been dealing with right shoulder soreness since the beginning of spring training. Over the last few weeks, Bello has been in the minors on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester and Double-A Portland, working his way back to Boston.

“It helps,” Cora said before the game on Monday morning. “We’ve been two guys down, and the other guys have done a good job, but obviously he’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish. Velocity is up, which is very important for us. The action on his pitches is good. We know what he can do.”

The stat line for Bello during his rehab starts wasn’t pretty, posting a 7.07 ERA, giving up 11 earned runs over 14 frames. In his last outing for the Sea Dogs, he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings while striking out seven. Despite his underwhelming rehab numbers, the most important thing for the Red Sox is Bello is feeling healthy enough to contribute at the big league level.

Bello will return to the Red Sox rotation on Tuesday to make his first start of the season for a three-game set with the Mariners at Fenway Park. Boston will have left-handers Sean Newcomb and ace Garrett Crochet follow Bello in the rotation to round out the series.

The Red Sox will need the 25-year-old to help give the rotation a much-needed boost and see if he can tap into his high-end potential early on in his return. Even with his potential, Bello hasn't looked like a top-of-the-rotation arm as of yet, recording ERAs in the mid-4.00 range over the first three years he's been in the majors: 4.71 ERA in 2022, 4.24 ERA in 2023, and 4.49 ERA in 2024.

Bello was a slow starter to begin last season but was much better in the second half after the All-Star break. He also is coming off a year in which he made 30 starts, which was a career high for the righty.

“I think he learned a lot throughout the season,” said Cora. “He didn't start too well. We reintroduced a four-seamer for lefties, and that was very important. And he learned how to use it. Changed speeds. Velocity was good throughout the season. And, for him to go 30-plus starts, that was very important.

“And now he understands he just needs to go out there and pitch. That's the most important thing. Don't try to overdo it. Especially in the first one. Just get your reps. See how it goes. But, like I said before, I'm happy that he’s back.”

GIOLITO REHAB CONTINUES

Lucas Giolito is inching closer to finally making his debut with the Red Sox. He has been out of action since undergoing an internal bracing procedure on the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow last year.

Giolito made his fourth rehab start on Monday, going five innings for Double-A Portland, allowing three runs off six hits while striking out four and throwing 65 pitches.

“Better than the one before,” Giolito told reporters on Monday morning. “My first Double-A game, I didn’t throw enough strikes, so I was disgusted in that aspect. My entire goal for yesterday was just to throw as many strikes as I possibly could. We did that. I didn’t walk anyone. I did give up some hard contact, but that’s because I was trying to throw so many pitches down the middle. I accomplished what I set out to do.”

Giolito is continuing to build himself back up and will likely make one more rehab start before Boston makes a decision as to what’s next for the hurler.

“I feel ready to go,” Giolito said. “Finally hitting the five-inning mark was good, so I feel ready to help contribute in whatever way possible.”

Giolito didn't feel good after his start on Tuesday for the Sea Dogs in Hartford, he was much better on Sunday throwing 65 pitches, 47 for strikes while working deeper into the outing. 

"The first Double-A game, I didn’t throw enough strikes so I was pretty disgusted with myself in that aspect,“ Giolito said Monday to MassLive's Chris Cotillo. ”My entire goal for yesterday was just to throw as many strikes as I possibly could. We did that. I didn’t walk anyone. I gave up some hard contact for sure but that’s because I was trying to throw so many pitches down the middle.

“I accomplished what I set out to do. I wanted to throw my five innings and whatever pitches. I had to go finish up in the bullpen. I said, ‘Let me just go out and throw the sixth inning’ but we’re on those restrictions. Just doing what they tell me.”

CONNOR WONG TIMELINE ON RETURN

The Red Sox have been without their starting catcher, Connor Wong, who has been sidelined with a pinky fracture that he sustained back on April 7. 

Wong suffered the injury four batters into the game when he was hit on the left hand by the bat of Blue Jays outfielder George Springer in the top of the first.

While Wong has been out of action, the Red Sox have turned to backup catcher Carlos Narvaez, who is batting .216 with an on-base percentage of .286 and a slugging percentage of .353. He has 11 hits, five RBI and has struck out 15 times in 51 plate appearances coming into Monday’s series finale with the White Sox on Monday morning. 

“[He’s] better—[hit] off the tee today,” said Cora. “He’s done some defensive work, but not actually caught bullpens or machines. But I gave him kind of like a timeline, and he’s like, ‘What? That’s too late.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, you’re feeling good, huh?’

“So I think they’re gonna add stuff offensively in the upcoming days. Hopefully he feels good. He feels like defensively, he’s no gonna have trouble. He’s gonna be OK. So if that happens, then a couple at bats, go down there, do your thing, and join us as soon as possible.”Cora thinks Wong is about two and a half weeks away from returning to the big league club. “That’s the way I see it,” said Cora. “Medical is probably screaming right now. We felt that it’s a small fracture that if we treat it the right way, he’ll be OK.”

Wong got off to a slow start at the plate, batting just .087 in 26 plate appearances; even with his bat ice cold at the time of his injury, the Sox will welcome his right-handed bat back into the lineup. 

Boston is thin on catching depth, and while Narvaez is holding the fort, his backup, Blake Sabol, has been underwhelming on both sides of his game. 

Sabol is 2-for-10 with a double and one RBI with five strikeouts in six games with the Red Sox. He was 5-for-20 (.250) with two doubles, four RBI, five walks, and five strikeouts for the WooSox before his promotion.

The Sox are getting a look at another catcher that could help out in Yasmani Grandal, who is in Triple-A Worcester. In three games, Grandal is 3-for-10 (.300) with three doubles, two RBI, two walks, and has a .417 on-base percentage. 

"A veteran," Cora said of Grandal after he was signed to a minor league deal. "Good at-bats, good defender, veteran guy just to see what we’ve got. This doesn’t impact anybody as of now, but he needs to play. He’s a guy who we have had on the radar throughout the offseason. It just happened now with the injury to have another guy in Triple-A and see where it takes us. But there’s no promises."

Grandal can opt out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox on May 1st, giving Boston a short window to evaluate the veteran backstop.

HENDRIKS' FIRST OUTING IN 22 MONTHS

Liam Hendriks was finally back on a big league mound on Sunday, 681 days since he last pitched for a big league club.

With Boston trailing 5-4, Cora called down the bullpen, and Hendriks came running out of it, jogging to the mound for the first time since June 9, 2023.

Hendriks’ outing wasn’t what he had envisioned over the last 22 months, allowing two singles, a two-run homer, and a strikeout. Following his first strikeout in almost two years, Cora made sure the team saved the ball for the veteran righty.

“It was good to get his feet wet,” Cora said. “Obviously he didn’t like the outing, but the fact that he fought and put himself in this position, you have to tip your hat to him.”

Hendriks threw 24 pitches, 15 for strikes, and averaged 95.7 mph with his fastball, according to Baseball Savant.

“Some good things to take from it, some not so great things to take from it,” Hendriks said. “But, now I can say I’ve gone out there. Now I can say I’ve pitched for the Boston Red Sox. Now there’s no sentimental value to anything like that. It’s go and perform.”

It’s been a long journey for Hendriks, who wants to show he can still compete at the big league level. He has the first outing out of the way and now can focus on helping the Red Sox win out of the bullpen.

“I’ve got to do my job and show these guys that they can feel confident going to me in any situation,” Hendriks said.

TAKE A SHOT?

The Guardians announced they’ve designated right-handed pitcher Triston McKenzie for assignment on Monday. The righty has struggled the last couple of seasons after looking like he’d be a key piece in Cleveland’s rotation.

In 2023, McKenzie faced a UCL injury but avoided surgery. He was placed on the injured list several more times during that season, and he's out of minor league options.

A potential change of scenery could benefit the young righty, and given the Red Sox' intense focus on pitching development, could get McKenzie back on track.

His best season came in 2022, where he made 30 starts and posted a 2.96 ERA with 190 strikeouts over 191 1/3 innings.