Sox win 6th straight as Sandoval shines in 1st start since 2024

CHICAGO – Thus far, this final road trip heading into the All-Star break has become a sweeping success for the Red Sox.

After beginning the journey by giving the Angels the broom treatment, the surging Red Sox took three in a row at Rate Field, capped by Thursday’s 2-1 victory over a White Sox team that hadn’t lost a home series since April 24-26.

On the strength of a season-high, six-game winning streak, Boston has taken 11 of its last 13 to pull within five games of .500 (43-48) for the first time since May 20.

With what had been elusive momentum finally in their pocket, interim manager Chad Tracy’s squad will head to New York to take on the Mets for the final series before the All-Star break, starting with Friday night’s game at Citi Field. After Thursday’s series finale, Boston was just 2 1/2 games back in the AL Wild Card standings.

“We’re just playing winning baseball,” said third baseman Caleb Durbin. “I think we've been close for a while but were just on the wrong side of it. Now we're on the right side of it, and you could feel the momentum around the clubhouse.”

Here is what mattered most on getaway day.

1. Sandoval sparkles in return

The Red Sox couldn’t have asked for anything more from lefty Patrick Sandoval, who at last returned from Tommy John surgery to make his first Major League start since June 21, 2024, when he was with the Angels. Making his debut for Boston more than 18 months after he signed a two-year deal with Boston, Sandoval held the White Sox to five hits and a run over 4 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out five. Of Sandoval’s 65 pitches, 41 were for strikes.

“It was really good. The velocity was up. It was good to see. He was in the strike zone,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “Landing all of his pitches for the first time in, I don’t know how many days it was — 700 days or whatever it’s been? Pretty darn good.”

Once Sandoval stepped on the mound to begin his day, he felt amazingly calm. That was not the case when the Red Sox were batting in the top of the first.

“It hit me pretty hard right before when the top of the first happened,” Sandoval said. “I had to kind of lay down and take a couple of deep breaths in the tunnel and I was fine after that.”

2. Durbin homers near home

Playing roughly 35 miles from his hometown of Lake Forest, Ill., Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin gave his family and friends at Rate Field a thrill by belting a two-run homer to left to break a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth. It was Durbin’s eighth homer since June 10 after hitting just one (off a position player) prior to that. Durbin went deep twice at Wrigley Field last year playing for the Brewers as a rookie.

“It’s always fun coming back home,” said Durbin. “Got to play a lot at Wrigley last year being in the division. To get to come back and play the White Sox every year now is a lot of fun.”

Durbin had a big cheering section throughout the series. They erupted when his home run cleared the fence.

“There's maybe 20 to 30 [friends and family members] that I knew [were there], probably more that I didn't know that were here,” Durbin said. “So I've had a ton of support my whole entire life. These are the moments, when it comes full circle, it’s really cool.”

3. Outstanding catches from Duran and Rafaela save the day

While Boston’s bullpen did an impressive job recording the final 14 outs, left fielder Jarren Duran and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela helped make the slight lead stand up with tremendous catches in the final two innings.

With Justin Slaten on in relief in the eighth, Duran made a brilliant, diving catch down the left-field line to take extra bases from Miguel Vargas on what likely would have been a leadoff double. Per Statcast, Duran covered 94 feet of distance on the play, utilizing a sprint speed of 29.1 feet per second.

In the ninth, it was Rafaela’s turn, as he went roaring into the gap in left-center to take extra bases away from Braden Montgomery, putting his team within one out of victory. According to Statcast, Rafaela had a catch probability of 10 percent.

“Obviously, when I saw it off the bat, I thought the ball can’t land, so that was the mindset,” said Rafaela.

The Gold Glove Award winner last year and the favorite to repeat this year, Rafaela has high standards. Where did he rank that snag?

“Maybe in the Top 10, maybe not,” Rafaela said.