Luis Robert Jr. made history for the Chicago White Sox then exited, plus more takeaways from the Boston Red Sox series
Gavin Sheets called the conditions “weird.”
The Chicago White Sox made it through the elements to capture their first series win since August with Sunday’s rain-shortened 3-2 victory against the Boston Red Sox in front of 33,399 at Fenway Park.
The game was called after six innings and a delay of 1 hour, 43 minutes because of inclement weather in the area.
“It was just one of those things you grind through,” said Sheets, who went 0-for-1 with a walk, a run and a sacrifice fly. The outfielder also stole the first base of his career.
Sheets scored on a two-run double by Elvis Andrus in the fifth inning as the White Sox took a 2-1 lead. He added the sacrifice fly one inning later.
The White Sox took two of three in the series. It’s their first series victory since Aug. 7-9 against the New York Yankees at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“Our pitching carried us,” Sheets said.
Here are three takeaways from the three games.
1. Luis Robert Jr. added to his impressive season before exiting with knee soreness.
Luis Robert Jr. joined rare company when he stole second base during Sunday’s first inning.
It was stolen base No. 20 on the season for Robert, who joined outfielder Magglio Ordoñez as the only players in franchise history to record 35-plus doubles, 30-plus home runs and 20-plus steals in a season.
Robert has 36 doubles and 38 home runs to go with the 20 stolen bases. Ordoñez had 40 doubles, 31 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 2001.
“There’s not a box he doesn’t check on that field,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s still young and getting better and learning and improving and he’s hungry to learn.”
Robert had an awkward slide into second while stealing the base Sunday and left the game one inning later with left knee soreness. The Sox said he will be further evaluated Monday.
“He’s doing all right,” Grifol said. “He’s a little sore, but we won’t know until tomorrow.”
2. Dylan Cease had one of his best outings of the season.
The 11 strikeouts were impressive. But Dylan Cease’s line on Saturday also included no walks.
Cease allowed six hits in seven innings in Saturday’s 1-0 victory. He didn’t factor in the decision, with the game’s lone run coming on a home run to right field by Robert with two outs in the top of the ninth.
Avoiding the walks, Cease said, was “huge.”
“I had command of three pitches,” Cease said after Saturday’s game. “It was coming out hot and (catcher) Korey (Lee) called a great game. Defense did great and I know (the Red Sox) are very disciplined. I knew I had to attack the strike zone and get ahead.”
Cease recorded his 200th strikeout of the season during the game, his third consecutive season reaching the mark. He joined Chris Sale (2013-16) and Hall of Famer Ed Walsh (1910-12) as the only pitchers in White Sox history to record three-plus consecutive seasons of 200 or more strikeouts.
Saturday’s outing was among Cease’s best of the season.
“I’ve been putting in the work, just not necessarily getting the results I wanted,” Cease said. “Just made sure to have a strong process and just kept working and I got a good feel (Saturday). Hopefully we do it again and go into the offseason strong and come and do it a bunch next year.”
3. Starting pitching defined the series.
The starting pitching was sharp throughout the series.
Touki Toussaint allowed one run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 6 1/3 innings Friday for the White Sox in a 3-2 loss. The right-hander did not factor in the decision.
“I felt like I attacked hitters, made pitches when I needed to,” Toussaint said after the game. “Got ahead and when I did get behind, got right back in the count.”
Mike Clevinger followed up Cease’s strong start with one of his own Sunday. He allowed two runs on five hits in the six innings and despite the weather-shortened event was credited with the complete game, his second straight.
“Today was really just me and Korey grinding away,” said Clevinger, who relied heavily on his two-seamer.
White Sox starters have a 1.75 ERA in their last eight games.
“Pitching is the name of the game,” Grifol said.
