CHICAGO – Even as the right side of their infield became a MASH unit in real time, the Red Sox stayed hot on Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to five games with a 5-0 victory over the White Sox at Rate Field.
No Willson Contreras (left foot contusion) or Anthony Seigler (left trap contusion) for the final six innings?
No problem for a Boston team that is on a 10-2 surge with four games left before the All-Star break.
Here is what mattered most on Wednesday.
Bennett again marvelous
When Brayan Bello was optioned to the Minor Leagues on June 5, there was no telling how rookie Jake Bennett would do as his replacement in the rotation. To say Bennett has filled in nicely would be a serious understatement.
The lefty was again marvelous on Wednesday, firing seven scoreless innings in which he allowed four hits while walking one and striking out four. Bennett was strikingly efficient, needing just 81 pitches to mow through the White Sox. In his last five starts, the 25-year-old is 3-1 with a 1.39 ERA.
Contreras out … but for how long?
It had been a good week for Contreras, who was added to the All-Star team on Tuesday and accepted an invitation to the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Wednesday. But some of his luck ran out when Contreras hammered a foul ball hard off the top of his left foot in the top of the third inning. In obvious pain, Contreras completed his at-bat and actually struck a flyout to deep center. But when he came out for defense, Contreras was limping and exited one batter into the inning.
With a day game looming on Thursday, it would seem iffy at best Contreras would be able to play. An added element is that a ruling from MLB is pending on the seven-game suspension Contreras received for his role in a bench-clearing fracas with the Nationals on June 30. Seigler had a nasty collision with White Sox catcher Kyle Teel while scoring on a wild pitch just one pitch after Contreras fouled the ball off his foot. Seigler has stepped up while serving as Boston’s primary second baseman in recent weeks.
Spark from bottom of order
The Red Sox have become a thriving offense during their recent hot streak. In Wednesday’s win, they got key contributions from the last two spots in the batting order. No. 8 hitter Carlos Narváez had a sacrifice bunt that led to the first run of a three-run rally in the third inning and added an RBI single in the fourth. No. 9 hitter Tsung-Che Chang had run-scoring singles in the third and fourth.
Narváez has slumped at the plate for most of the season, so this could be a sign that he is on the verge of making some progress. Chang is a defensive specialist who is starting at shortstop for the Sox at a time Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all on the injured list.