Boston Red Sox versus White Sox players sidelined as Reveals Reason For Absence but kuckily…
The Boston Red Sox entered the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead over the Chicago White Sox to begin their three-game series at Fenway Park on Friday night, which is the ideal situation for manager Alex Cora to call upon closer Kenley Jansen.
But instead, it was Josh Winckowski who recorded the save and sealed the victory.
Jansen hasn’t pitched since Wednesday night’s brutal relief appearance against the New York Mets in which the 36-year-old entered a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Mets rallied around Jansen by drawing three walks, including one that forced in a run, before being charged with four earned runs and forcing Cora to re-signal to the bullpen as Boston took its fifth consecutive trip to the loss column.
This time, Winckowski went 1-2-3 against the White Sox in the ninth while Jansen explained the reasoning behind his absence — a lat issue.
“I won’t pitch again until this (calms) down,” Jansen told Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe after Boston’s win.
Boston remains five games back of the Minnesota Twins for the third and final wild card spot in the American League. The team’s 1-5 road trip wasn’t encouraging and could ease the urgency of Jansen’s return to the mound with the 71-70 Red Sox having just 21 games scheduled in the regular season until the postseason bracket is officially set.
Jansen, who will turn 37 on Sept. 30, has recorded 25 saves this season with a 3.70 ERA in 48 2/3 innings pitched (48 relief appearances). He remains fourth on MLB’s all-time saves list with 445, trailing third-place Lee Smith (478) by 33 saves.
The Boston Red Sox will look to bank a second consecutive home win when they continue a three-game series against the lowly Chicago White Sox on Saturday evening. Although Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-run homer in the seventh inning was the difference in a 3-1 Friday win, the Red Sox (71-70) have managed just 11 runs over their past six games and still remain six games below .500 at Fenway Park at 32-38 on the season.
The expected return of shortstop Trevor Story from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since April 6 could provide an even greater spark. “It’s very important not only for us, but for him, too, just to go out there and play,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Just for him to be out there, it’s huge. … He had a goal (of returning before the season ended), and it’s going to happen. I’m very happy for him.”
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a go-ahead two-run home run over the Green Monster in the seventh inning, helping the Boston Red Sox defeat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Friday night.
This win ended the Red Sox’s five-game losing streak and came at a time when they have struggled in their attempt to secure the AL’s third and final wild-card spot, with a 6-10 record in their last 16 games.
