Clevinger strong again, Sox beats Boston win 1st series since early August
BOSTON - Mike Clevinger pitched 6 solid innings, Elvis Andrus had a 2-run double and the White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in a rain-shortened game on Sunday, ending a string of 12 straight series losses.
Trying to avoid their second 100-loss season in five years and the fifth in club history, the White Sox took two of three from the Red Sox and captured their first series since Aug. 7-9 when they went 2-1 against the Yankees.
"Not fun," said Clevinger of pitching in rainy, cool conditions. "Not very conducive to playing baseball. We got through it."
Adam Duvall and Wilyer Abreu each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who are on pace to finish in the AL East basement for the third time in four years.
The umpires called for the tarp after the sixth and the game was called after a 1-hour, 43-minute delay.
Clevinger was credited with a complete game. "That's always nice," he said, smiling. It was the fourth of his career and his second straight after he went 9 innings beating the Washington Nationals in his last start.
White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. left with a sore right knee after stealing his 20th base. He has 38 homers and 36 doubles, becoming the first White Sox player with 35 homers, 35 doubles and 20 steals.
Clevinger (9-8) gave up 2 runs and 5 hits without striking out or walking a batter.
Playing with rain falling most of the time for the second straight day, the White Sox scored twice with just one hit against Kutter Crawford (6-8) to take a 2-1 edge in the fifth.
Crawford walked a pair before Andrus' liner to center just got under the glove of centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela's full-length dive.
"For the first three or four innings I was in total control," Crawford said. "That fifth inning happened and it all started with the leadoff walk and then the two-out walk. Those are things I can't let happen."
Gavin Sheets' sacrifice fly made it 3-1 in the sixth.
"It was weird conditions," Sheets said. "One of those things you grind through. Our pitching carried us."
Abreu's drive went into the seats in deep right for his second career homer in the second. Duvall's completely left Fenway Park over the Green Monster in the sixth.
Before the game, the White Sox placed right-hander Jesse Scholtens on the 15-day injured list with a strained left calf. They recalled right-hander Declan Cronin to take his spot.