Marwin Gonzalez, Red Sox pull away late for 7-4 win over White Sox

There’s an evolving theme with these Red Sox through their first three weeks: When the game is on the line, someone seems to always step up.

On Saturday, it was Marwin Gonzalez. And then his teammates followed his lead.

The utility player who’s been less known for his bat early on this season, Gonzalez delivered in a big way, belting his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the eighth inning that broke a deadlock and paved the way for the Red Sox in their 7-4 victory over the White Sox in the first of a four-game series at Fenway Park.

The takeaways:

Big eighth inning: With the game tied at 3 in the eighth, Red Sox manager Alex Cora turned to two new acquisitions who have struggled a bit in their first seasons in Boston. First, it was veteran reliever Adam Ottavino, who entered Saturday with a 9.82 ERA and 2.73 WHIP. He desperately needed a bounce-back performance, and he provided one, as he struck out the White Sox side in 12 pitches.

That set up Gonzalez, who chose a great time for his first home run with the Red Sox, belting a high fastball off Codi Heuer to the deepest part of the park, over the Sox bullpen. It was a 410-foot missile that put the Red Sox ahead, 4-3.

The Red Sox weren’t satisfied with just that, either, as the rest of the lineup ruined Jose Ruiz’s day and left no doubt. J.D. Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk before Xander Bogaerts’ ground-rule double down the right-field line scored two more runs and sealed the Red Sox’ win.

Hernández provides a spark: Bogaerts almost spoke it into existence prior to Saturday’s game. He knew it was a matter of time before Kiké Hernández after a bit of a slow start to his first season with the Red Sox.

“I know it’s cold, man,” the shortstop said. “I know it would be a little tough for him, just being able to play in this cold compared to being in LA pretty much for his whole career, but early on it’s tough playing in this weather up north and I know he’s going to get hot especially once the weather gets going.”

The weather wasn’t exactly warm on Saturday — 48 degrees at first pitch — but Hernández heated up anyway. Trailing 2-0, the center fielder led off the third with a double down the left-field line that skipped off the third-base bag, then advanced to third on a passed ball. Hernández proceeded to score on a sac fly from Alex Verdugo as the Red Sox rallied to tie it.

In the seventh, it was Hernández again. After Kevin Plawecki hit a two-out double to center, Hernández followed him with an RBI single that gave the Red Sox a short-lived 3-2 lead. Hernández later singled to produce his first four-hit game with the Red Sox.

Pivetta looks shaky: Nick Pivetta has been mostly solid in his first handful of Red Sox starts since debuting with Boston last September, but a troubling walk rate has followed him. That continued on Saturday, as he issued four walks over his first two innings, bringing his total to 10 across his first three starts this season.

The first two walks — including one on four pitches to Yoan Moncada — were back-breakers for Pivetta, who proceeded to allow an RBI double to Jose Abreu before a fielder’s choice from Yermin Mercedes scored a run to give the White Sox an early 2-0 lead.

Pivetta continued to have trouble locating the strike zone in the second, when he surrendered two more free passes, including a two-out walk to Adam Eaton that loaded the bases. But the right-hander successfully avoided a disaster as Moncada flew out on a 407-foot shot to deep center.

Pivetta’s poor command led him to last just 3⅔ innings, his shortest start in five outings with the Red Sox, and it was his first start without coming away with the victory after going 4-0 in his first four starts.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3gg9CWh