The Sports Xchange
May 31, 2017
CHICAGO -- Light-hitting Deven Marrero belted a pair of home runs and had five RBIs to help Chris Sale escape with a win in his return to Chicago as the Boston Red Sox went deep six times and outslugged the White Sox 13-7 on Tuesday night.
Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a three-run home run and an RBI double, and Xander Bogaerts had four hits, including a solo homer. Mitch Moreland had a two-run homer, Mookie Betts hit a solo shot, and Sam Travis had three of Boston's 16 hits.
Sale (6-2), who spent his first seven seasons with the White Sox, allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in five innings -- his shortest, shakiest outing this season. The lanky lefty, traded to Boston last December for four prospects, struck out nine to boost his major-league-leading total to 110.
Marrero entered the game hitting .175 with a home run and six RBIs. He launched two- and three-run shots off struggling White Sox starter Jose Quintana for his first career multi-homer game.
Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer for Chicago, Tim Anderson had a solo shot and two RBIs, and Jose Abreu drove in two runs with a single. Leury Garcia and Melky Cabrera each had three of the White Sox's 14 hits.
Quintana (2-7) was hit hard for the second straight outing and lost his third straight decision. The left-hander allowed seven runs on 10 hits and was yanked with two outs in the third after Marrero's second homer.
Boston's Craig Kimbrel got the final four outs for his 14th save.
A five-time All-Star with the White Sox, Sale was 74-50 with a 3.00 ERA with them. He was dealt to Boston once Chicago committed to rebuilding.
Sale got a warm, but not rousing, standing ovation from the crowd of 21,852 when he took the mound in the bottom of the first. He recorded his first five outs on strikeouts.
The Red Sox staked Sale to a 4-0 lead in the second as they sent nine men to the plate.
After Travis and Bradley doubled, Marrero smacked a two-run shot to left-center. Betts, the next hitter, launched a home run to left as the Red Sox went deep back-to-back for the second time this season.
The White Sox closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the second, doing all the damage after Sale fanned the first two hitters. Garcia drove in one run and then Abreu knocked in two more, each with sharp singles.
Marrero lofted a three-run homer in the third to restore Boston's four-run lead and chase Quintana.
After Chris Young and Travis singled to open the inning, Quintana retired the next two hitters and was on the verge of escaping of the jam. But Marrero hit a 3-2 curveball just over the railing in right-center.
Anderson singled in Avisail Garcia from third in the bottom of the inning to cut Boston's lead to 7-4. Frazier's two-run homer to left with two outs in the fourth trimmed it to 7-6.
Bradley lined his three-run home run to right in the fifth to increase Boston's lead to 10-6.
Bogaerts' homer in the eighth to make it 11-6. Anderson replied in the bottom of the inning.
Moreland hit a two-run shot in the ninth.
NOTES: Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia was placed on the 10-day disabled list earlier with a left wrist sprain sustained during a collision with White Sox 1B Jose Abreu in Monday's series opener. An MRI revealed no structural damage. Pedroia is dealing with soreness and swelling, and his hand and forearm were bandaged in a splint as he talked to media before Tuesday's game. ... Josh Rutledge started at second base for Boston on Tuesday. ... Red Sox activated 3B Pablo Sandoval to take Pedroia's place on the 25-man roster. Sandoval missed 31 games with a right knee sprain. ... Before the game, Chicago manager Rick Renteria said RHP James Shields (strained right lat) and RHP Nate Jones (elbow nerve irritation) continue to progress through bullpen sessions, but gave no timeline for rehab assignments or returns. ... Boston LHP Drew Pomeranz (4-3, 4.70) faces Chicago RHP Mike Pelfrey (2-4, 4.41) in the series finale on Wednesday night.