BOSTON — Red Sox manager John Farrell’s decisions worked out very well.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria, though, made one move and the game was lost.
Chris Young hit two homers, including a tiebreaking three-run shot after the batter in front was walked intentionally, to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
“Yeah, you definitely feel better if you get the job done in that situation,” Young said. “If you don’t get the job done, you feel a little worse than if the game’s kind of going as it normally does.”
Inserted into right field by Farrell with All Star Mookie Betts getting the day off, Young added an RBI double and had a solo homer off starter Mike Pelfrey to help the AL East-leading Red Sox complete a four-game sweep of the White Sox.
“You go by what Mookie’s needs were and when you start to put the lineup together you see where Chris has had decent success coming into today’s game against Pelfrey — and it held true to form,” Farrell said.
Young improved to 10 for 24 in his career against Pelfrey, but it was his first homer and RBI against the righty.
With the score tied in the fifth, Sandy Leon was on second with two outs after a leadoff double when Renteria intentionally walked left-handed batting Andrew Benintendi to have Pelfrey face the right-handed hitting Young, who already had a homer over and double off the Green Monster.
Young belted the second pitch just inside the left-field foul pole.
“I’ve got to make a better pitch to the next guy after that,” Pelfrey said. “I failed to do that obviously and he made me pay for it, just like he did in the first inning.”
Renteria felt it was the best matchup.
“That’s basically what it was,” he said. “I knew that Young had obviously done a little damage against him in his previous two at-bats, but I still thought that that matchup gave us the best chance.”
Chicago lost its sixth consecutive game, and 23rd in its last 27. The White Sox were swept in a four-game series in Fenway Park for the first time since July of 1988.
Doug Fister (2-5) allowed three runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out a season-high seven for his second straight win. Craig Kimbrel, the third reliever, pitched the ninth for his 27th save.
Pelfrey (3-10) gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He’s 0-5 with a 7.78 ERA in his last eight starts.
The White Sox opened the second with four straight hits to take a 3-2 edge. Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson had consecutive RBI singles before Alen Hanson’s sacrifice fly.
Young’s double tied it at 3.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Matt Davidson was a late scratch after being listed as the DH, missing his fifth straight game with a bruised right wrist. Tyler Saladino took his place and doubled his first at-bat.
Red Sox: Farrell said Betts got: “A well-deserved” day off. Betts has played in 107 of the club’s 112 games. DH Hanley Ramirez missed his second straight with soreness in both obliques, but Farrell said: “This is not a DL situation.”
POWER SURGE
It was Boston’s season-high fifth consecutive multi-homer game, and the 15th of Young’s career.
The Red Sox went ahead 2-0 in the first on homers by Eduardo Nunez and Young.
Nunez’s went into the center-field bleachers and Young’s completely left Fenway, clearing a billboard over Monster seats.
EXTRA WORK
The White Sox took infield practice – a rarity around the majors, especially on Sunday mornings – that wrapped up about 90 minutes before the first pitch.
HOLYWOOD COMMENTARY
Actor Matt Damon visited the Red Sox NESN TV broadcast.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Off Monday. LHP Derek Holland (5-11, 5.29 ERA) is set to start when they open a three-game home series against AL West-leading Houston on Tuesday. He’s 1-8 with a 7.96 ERA in his last 12 starts.
Red Sox: Following an off-day, LHP Chris Sale (13-4, 2.70) is slated to take his major-league leading 216 strikeouts into the opener of a two-game series Tuesday at the Tampa Bay Rays. The ace is coming off a rough outing when he gave up seven runs in five innings against Cleveland.
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