​CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Bennett pitched seven strong innings, allowing four hits as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-0 on Wednesday night, extending their win streak to five. Boston has now won 10 of 12 and 13 of its last 18 games.
Bennett (4-3) has been stingy, yielding more than two runs in just two of his eight starts. He fanned four and issued a single walk. Tsung-Che Cheng collected his first multi-RBI game, driving in a run with an RBI single in the third to put Boston up 1-0, and Ceddanne Rafaela followed with an RBI that brought Cheng home two batters later.
An early scoring bungle for the White Sox helped the Red Sox pad their lead, as Anthony Seigler scored on a wild pitch thrown by Davis Martin (9-4). Seigler, however, left the game after colliding with White Sox catcher Kyle Teel at home plate. Willson Contreras, who had committed to the Home Run Derby prior to the game, also exited after sustaining an injury from a foul ball off his left foot; he initially stayed in but was removed with one out in the bottom of the third.
Carlos Narváez added an RBI single for Boston, and Cheng contributed his second RBI of the night in the fourth inning. For Chicago, Luisangel Acuña collected two hits in the loss, going 2-for-2.
The White Sox were set to start left-hander Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.39 ERA) in Thursday’s series finale, with left-hander Patrick Sandoval slated to make his Red Sox debut. Sandoval, activated Monday, is returning from a two-year recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he figures to face off against Kay after Boston called him up to join the rotation. The matchup marks Sandoval’s first appearance for the Red Sox since the long layoff and will provide a key look at how he fits into Boston’s postseason aspirations.
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