Red Sox finally have a hiccup in 3-1 road loss to White Sox
The Red Sox’ hot streak wasn’t going to last forever. Just two more wins away from getting back to .500 for the first time since late April, Boston stumbled in the second game of their road series in Chicago, as a three-run home run by DH Jake Burger made the difference in the ballgame.
After beating the Blue Jays on April 22 to improve to 7-7, the Red Sox went 3-12 over a brutal 15-game stretch, including a three-game sweep by the White Sox at Fenway Park. Boston then followed that up with 10 wins in their next 13, possibly a season-saving resurgence, capped with six wins in a row.
Now that the streak is over, it’s about how the Red Sox bounce back.
That’s especially true for their offense, which could only muster seven hits while striking out 10 times. White Sox ace Lucas Giolito made seven of those 10 punchouts while allowing just one run on a two-out RBI single to Alex Verdugo in the first inning.
Manager Alex Cora sounded highly confident that the Red Sox will rebound, and still feels good about how they’re swinging the bat, despite the loss.
“We’re very pleased with what we had offensively,” Cora said on NESN after the game. “We’re controlling the zone, even some pitches, with two strikes, there’s no chance to do damage. The calls were the calls. We struck out looking, but I’ll take that. I’d rather control the strike zone than expand it. We’re in a good spot right now.”
![May 25, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) breaks his bat during the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2022/05/Red-Sox-White-Sox-5-25-22-Chicago-loss-09-copy.jpg)
May 25, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) breaks his bat during the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
On the mound, Red Sox starter Rich Hill cruised through four innings before things fell apart in the fifth. Hill allowed a leadoff double to Jose Abreu, then Rafael Devers’ third error of the season on an errant throw put another runner on. Burger then turned on an 0-2 pitch and launched it an estimated 444 feet for the go-ahead home run.
There’s now a rubber match in Chicago on Thursday night, with Nick Pivetta opposing Dylan Cease.
PHOTOS: Red Sox take on White Sox in second game of road series
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at [email protected].
NEXT: Trevor Story Making History With Recent Hot Streak