Gavin Sheets belted a grand slam among his three hits, Paul DeJong homered and four pitchers delivered 4 2/3 innings of three-hit relief to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 6-1 victory against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
After stopping a franchise-worst 14-game losing streak Friday night, the White Sox used a five-run fifth Saturday en route to winning consecutive games for the first time since May 14-15.
Chicago collected six of its 10 hits against Boston starter Brayan Bello (6-3) in the fifth. Sheets punctuated the rally with his first career grand slam one batter after Andrew Vaughn tied the game at 1 with an RBI infield single.
DeJong and Lenyn Sosa added two hits apiece for the White Sox, who out-hit the Red Sox 10-5. DeJong provided the final margin in the seventh with his team-leading 11th home run.
White Sox rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini was unable to earn his first victory despite delivering the best start of his young career, scattering one run and two hits in 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts.
While he needed 71 pitches to do it, an effectively wild Nastrini held Boston without a hit over the first four innings.
Nastrini issued five walks but made pitches when he needed to, including when he induced Dominic Brown on a double-play grounder on a 3-1 count to end the third inning.
Bobby Dalbec delivered Boston’s first hit and the game’s first run with a solo homer that narrowly cleared the right field wall leading off the fifth.
David Hamilton followed with a bloop single to left. Jarren Duran walked two batters later to spell the end of Nastrini’s outing, but Chicago escaped further trouble. Tanner Banks picked Duran off at first base before throwing a pitch and then struck Jamie Westbrook out looking.
Home plate umpire Alan Porter ejected Boston manager Alex Cora for arguing balls and strikes moments later.
Banks (1-2) was the winner, allowing one hit in 1 2/3 innings to go with two strikeouts.
Bello allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts.
The Red Sox finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine. Hamilton had two hits.
–Field Level Media
