Red Sox 10, White Sox 3
CHICAGO - In his first start since tossing the 21st perfect game in Major League history last Saturday at Seattle, White Sox right-hander Philip Humber was anything but perfect Thursday as the Boston Red Sox won their fourth straight game 10-3.
Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia feasted on Humber's pitching with a pair of home runs, while teammate Kevin Youkilis had three hits, including a grand slam that broke the game open as the Red Sox moved closer to .500 (at 8-10) in the first of a four-game series in Chicago.
Tossing 115 pitches (74 strikes) in his five-inning outing, Humber (1-1) was rocked for a career-high nine runs on eight hits - including the three homers he offered up. He also struck out five.
While he was untouchable in Seattle, Humber's struggles at home continued. He's now 0-5 in his last nine starts at U.S. Cellular Field, and has yielded 29 earned runs in his last 45 2/3 innings.
Boston wasted little time jumping on Humber when leadoff hitter Mike Aviles walked to start the game in the top of the first. Aviles stole second, while Ryan Sweeney struck out, and then advanced to third on Dustin Pedroia's slow rolling infield hit down the third base line.
Adrian Gonzalez followed with a double to left, scoring Aviles and advancing Pedroia to third. David Ortiz then singled in Pedroia, with Gonzalez stopping at third, putting the Red Sox ahead 2-0.
In the White Sox half of the first, Adam Dunn reached on a two-out walk and then took second on a wild pitch by winning Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront (1-0). Paul Konerko stroked a double off the glove of backpeddling Red Sox center fielder Marlon Byrd, scoring Dunn. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski walked, and then Alex Rios hit into an inning-ending fielder's choice, cutting Boston's early lead to 2-1.
The Red Sox scored five runs in the top of the third when Sweeney doubled, Pedroia lined out to short, Gonzalez and Ortiz walked to load the bases, and Youkilis hit his second home run of the season and his second career grand slam (first of the season for the Red Sox).
Saltalamacchia immediately followed with his third homer of the season, a solo effort, the first back-to-back roundtrippers for the Red Sox this season, making the score 7-1.
The White Sox earned back one run in the bottom of the third when Alexei Ramirez walked, Dunn was hit by a pitch and Pierzynski's single scored Ramirez. But that would be all as Rios hit into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
Chicago got a third run in the bottom of the fourth when Dayan Viciedo led off with a home run, closing the score to 7-3.
Boston came right back in the top of the fifth with a single by Youkilis and a two-run homer by Saltalamacchia, making it 9-3. It was Saltalamacchia's first two-homer game since 2007.
Will Ohman relieved Humber to start the sixth and gave up just one hit in two innings of work. Zach Stewart came on in the top of the eighth to finish things off for the White Sox (10-9).
Boston added one final run in the top of the ninth when Aviles doubled and scored on Sweeney's single.
Junichi Tazawa came on in the bottom of the seventh to relieve Doubront, and pitched his way out of a jam after giving up a pair of two-out singles.
Chicago stranded 10 runners, while Boston left just three.
NOTES: As expected, the Red Sox announced Wednesday night that outfielder Carl Crawford will not undergo surgery, but he will miss up to three months resting and rehabbing an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his left elbow. ... The Red Sox came into Thursday's game fresh off a three-game sweep of the Twins in Minnesota, which followed their longest losing streak thus far this season (five games). ... The White Sox beat Boston in the season series in both 2010 (1-6) and 2011 (2-4), the first time that has happened since 1997 (3-8) and 1998 (5-6). ... Boston came into Thursday's game having lost 11 of its last 14 and 14 of its last 18 to the White Sox, dating back to August 27, 2009. With Thursday's win, the Red Sox are 12-17 (.413) against the White Sox since the start of 2008, their worst record against any American League team in that period of time. ... Doubront threw a career-high 110 pitches (66 strikes) in six innings of work. ... This is not a misprint: Game time temperature was 39 degrees. ... The bottom of the White Sox order continues to have its struggles: With his home run and single, Viciedo upped his batting average from .173 before the game to .196. However, Brent Morel (.167) and Gordon Beckham (.170) continued their respective slumps at the plate.
