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Dalbec Awaits Sox Opportunity

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is dealing with a lineup problem as his team finishes a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, but it’s a problem he may be happy to have.

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Bobby Dalbec

The Red Sox recalled hot-hitting corner infielder Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester on Friday, but they have no obvious place to play him.

Dalbec, 27, was used as a third baseman for much of his minor league career, but he played first base when the Red Sox called him up in 2020. Boston has Rafael Devers at third base and Triston Casas at first. Justin Turner has been the team’s primary backup at both positions.

Based on how Dalbec performed in Triple-A this year, it may behoove the Red Sox to find playing time for him, however. Dalbec batted .296 with 18 home runs and 42 RBIs in 54 games with Worcester and hit .333 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs over his last 36 games.

Dalbec appeared in 133 games for the Red Sox in 2021 and 117 games in 2022. He totaled 37 home runs over those two seasons, 25 of them in 2021.

“Obviously, where we’re at roster-wise, he needs to be patient,” Cora told reporters before Boston’s 3-1 victory over Chicago on Friday night. “And I understand how it works. It’s part of it. While he’s here, he’s going to get chances to contribute. And he’s ready to go. That’s part of being a big-leaguer, a professional baseball player. He sees what’s going on here.

“But at the same time, he belongs to us. He’s with us. And he’s been working hard to get better. In this business, you’re always one injury away from coming up here and contributing. He’s here right now, and hopefully, he’s in the right frame of mind. And whenever he gets a shot, just go ahead and keep doing the things you were doing at Triple-A.”

Devers, Red Sox Blast White Sox

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Brayan Bello turned in another strong start and Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run as the Boston Red Sox ended a two-game losing streak by beating the host Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Friday night.

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It was a 1-1 game until Devers hit his 18th home run of the season in the fourth inning. Masataka Yoshida, who reached on an error, also scored on the blast.

The homer came against Chicago starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (5-5), who allowed three runs (one earned) and struck out 10 in six innings. Giolito surrendered three hits and walked one.

Devers raised his RBI total to 60. Yoshida had two of Boston’s four hits in the win, with Enrique Hernandez collected the Red Sox’s other hit.

Bello (5-4) limited the White Sox to a run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He recorded five strikeouts and walked one. Bello has given up no more than two earned runs in nine of his past 10 starts, and pitching to a 2.45 ERA in that span.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 16th save of the season.

The Red Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, when David Hamilton walked, stole second and scored on a two-base error by second baseman Tim Anderson. The White Sox made it 1-1 in the bottom of the inning on Anderson’s sacrifice fly, which scored Seby Zavala.

Hamilton made his major league debut on Wednesday and made his second start on Friday, going 0-for-2 to leave him 1-for-5 overall. He stole 70 bases for Double-A Portland last season and had 27 thefts with Triple-A Worcester this year.

Eloy Jimenez had three hits for the White Sox, who have lost nine of their last 12 games. Chicago, which finished with eight hits, is 18-20 at home this season.

Boston’s victory came in the opener of a three-game series. It was the first meeting between the Red Sox and White Sox this season.

–Field Level Media

It Was Patri-HITS Day for Sox at Fenway

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox celebrated the annual Commonwealth of Massachusetts holiday, Patriots’ Day, by turning it into “Patri-HITS” Day, clocking 17 hits and scoring 11 runs, six coming in a first inning bat-around barrage against Chicago White Sox starter and All-Star pitcher Lucas Giolito. Ultimately, the Red Sox registered an 11-4 victory to counter the sweep at the hands of the White Sox on Sunday.

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Boston’s strong offensive output supported the efforts of their starter, Nathan Eovaldi, who pitched 6.1 innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs while striking out 10 batters and walking none. Eovaldi is now (3-1) and has emerged as the Sox ace starter in this young 2021 season when the Red Sox have surprised the American League East with an 11-6 record, after starting the season 0-3.

Eovaldi has not walked any of his last 51 batters he’s faced (beginning in the 7th inning on April 7 game vs. TB) and has not allowed a home run in his last six starts. Dating back to last season, he is 6-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over his last 8 starts (44.2 IP, 29 H, 10 ER, 6 BB, 49 SO). He has started four games for Boston this season and leads the team in wins.

Boston has now scored 10+ runs for the third time (14 on 4/11 at Baltimore, and 11 on 4/5 vs. Tampa).. The Sox offense came alive after a semi-dormant weekend, homering three times for their 2nd-highest single-game total (six HRs on 4/11 at Baltimore). Six Red Sox players had multiple hits, including each of the “one” through “five” hitters. Three players – Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers – had 3+ hits.

Chicago surrendered 10+ runs for the first time in 2021, with the previous occurrence coming last September 27th against their cross-town rival Cubs. The six runs allowed in the 1st was their most in the opening frame since August 31, 2019 vs. Atlanta (6 runs, 11-5 loss).

As the game became out of hand, catcher/DH Yermín Mercedes (7th) and Danny Mendick (8th) each made their first career pitching appearances to mark the first time a position player has pitched for the White Sox since Yolmer Sánchez last September.

The Red Sox will next face the Toronto Blue Jays for a two game series, starting Tuesday night, and then the Seattle Mariners will be at Fenway Park for a four-game set from Thursday through the weekend.

 

WHITE-WASHED!

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BOSTON – Designated hitter Yermín Mercedes started the dismantling of Boston with a home run in Chicago’s three-run fourth inning, and the White Sox completed a sweep of the Sunday “day-evening” doubleheader against the Red Sox on with a 5-1 victory at Fenway Park.

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Nick Madrigal had two hits and drove in two runs for Chicago, which climbed back to .500 at 8-8. In the opener, Tim Anderson homered on the game’s first pitch and Dallas Keuchel pitched five solid innings in a 3-2 victory.

Catcher Yasmani Grandal had an RBI double and former Red Sox 3B Yoán Moncada drove in a run with a single for the White Sox. Keuchel (1-0) gave up two runs and Hendriks got his second save.

Boston was held to four hits in the nightcap, anchored by Keuchel’s impressive performance.

The doubleheader was scheduled after Friday’s game was postponed due to snow and rain.