September 8 – Tyler O’Neill ripped two home runs and combined with Romy Gonzalez for six of the 10 Boston Red Sox hits in a 7-5 win Saturday over the visiting Chicago White Sox.
O’Neill’s first round-tripper highlighted a four-run first inning for the Red Sox (72-70), who have won the first two contests in the three-game series. He finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, also had three hits, including an RBI double, scored twice and stole three bases to support starter Cooper Criswell (6-4), who pitched five innings of two-run ball.
Trevor Story made his return to the Boston lineup after being sidelined since April 6 due to a left shoulder injury. The shortstop went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Andrew Benintendi and Andrew Vaughn each homered as part of 3-for-4 efforts to lead the White Sox (32-111). The duo combined for all five of Chicago’s RBIs.
A back-and-forth first inning saw Chicago plate a pair of two-out runs against Criswell. After Benintendi lined a single to left, Vaughn crushed a two-run homer to deep left-center field.
The Red Sox responded with an immediate big inning, never looking back after scoring four times while forcing Chicago’s Garrett Crochet (6-11) to throw 36 pitches.
Jarren Duran’s leadoff single and a Rafael Devers double put Boston in prime scoring position right away, and Rob Refsnyder’s RBI grounder plated the first run. O’Neill then flipped the advantage with a two-run homer into the Green Monster seats. Gonzalez then drove a single to right before stealing second and third and crossing the plate on Connor Wong’s RBI double off the left-field wall, making it a 4-2 game.
After Gus Varland relieved Crochet, a two-run third padded the Boston lead. O’Neill grounded a leadoff single to left and scored on Gonzalez’s double into the right-field corner. Gonzalez swiped third then scored the seventh Red Sox run as Story dropped a single into shallow center.
O’Neill led off the home fifth with another big swing, depositing the first pitch over the Monster for a 7-2 Boston lead.
Criswell worked around four combined hits after the opening frame, but finished his five-inning outing without allowing another run.
After a leadoff walk to Chuckie Robinson and Nicky Lopez dunking a base hit into center, Benintendi sailed a three-run homer into the bullpen in the White Sox seventh.
Kenley Jansen logged his 26th save with a perfect ninth.
