Red Sox on rise as they begin road trip at White Sox
The Boston Red Sox admittedly weren't perfect during their home sweep of the Oakland Athletics the past three days.
Still, three straight victories have enlivened the club just the same as Boston begins a seven-game road trip with a Thursday game against the Chicago White Sox.
"I think we're heading in the right direction," Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi told reporters after Boston's 7-3 victory against the A's on Wednesday. "I'm sure there still are a lot of things we can improve on. Take it a day at a time, just keep grinding and hopefully keep winning."
Boston is three games under .500 as it continues to work back from a slow start, but manager Alex Cora said he is encouraged by various signs of late.
Benintendi provided one of them on Wednesday, surprising the A's with a bunt single to move a runner over and set up an eventual sacrifice fly that provided a two-run cushion at the time. Benintendi had been mired in a 1-for-17 slump to end the month of April.
"That's how it starts," Cora said after the game. "You start doing the little things and then little by little, probably good things are going to happen. They're buying into doing anything possible to get a win. Just do your part, and they know that if we start doing the little things, big things are going to happen."
Left-hander David Price (1-2, 3.60 ERA), who is scheduled to start Thursday for the Red Sox, also is rounding into form. Price has worked at least five innings over his past three starts, allowing no more than two runs in each.
In his most recent start, on Saturday against Tampa Bay, Price took the loss despite allowing two runs in six innings with seven strikeouts.
His career numbers at Guaranteed Rate Field are far from stellar, however. In eight career road starts against the White Sox, Price is 3-4 with a 4.41 ERA. Overall, he is 6-5 against the White Sox with a 3.39 ERA in 15 starts.
The White Sox have won four of their past five after splitting a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
Yonder Alonso delivered a walk-off, two-run, opposite-field single to give the White Sox a 7-6 victory in the nightcap. Alonso had been 0-for-8 in the twin bill before his at-bat against the Orioles' Miguel Castro.
"It was a grinding day, man. It was a grinding day for myself, for everybody," Alonso told NBC Sports Chicago after the game. "Just trying to win a series. We battled and continued to grind."
Alonso has not faced Price in his career. His companion in the heart of the Chicago order, Jose Abreu, is batting .143 in 21 at-bats against Price with one home run and three RBI.
Something figures to give in the series opener. Abreu has recorded six straight multi-hit games to raise his average to .292.
The White Sox announced after the nightcap that Lucas Giolito will return from the injured list to start the Thursday game. Giolito (2-1, 5.30 ERA) hasn't pitched since sustaining a hamstring injury during the third inning of an April 17 start against the Kansas City Royals.
Giolito only has one career appearance against the Red Sox, getting a start last year but no decision after pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up just one run (1.42 ERA).
--Field Level Media
