​CHICAGO — Instant reactions to the Red Sox’ 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field: The road trip stayed flawless for Boston, as they rolled to a 5-0 victory that gave them five straight wins with four games left on this three-city, nine-game swing. With the win, the Red Sox crept to within six games of .500 for the first time since May, and Jake Bennett earned the victory as his teammates produced the only runs in the third inning with a three-run outburst. It was a strong start to the game that kept the Sox ahead and set the tone for the evening.
Quietly, Jake Bennett is emerging as one of the season’s more intriguing stories. The right-hander logged his third consecutive win on Wednesday, blanking the White Sox over seven innings to move to 4-3. He surrendered just four singles, and over his last five starts has allowed only five earned runs. Across eight rookie starts, he’s given up more than two earned runs just twice. Bennett consistently attacks the zone, induces chase from hitters, and has been stingy with walks, yielding just three walks in his last five outings.
The victory carried some concern, though, because the win came with injuries to key players. In the third inning, first baseman Willson Contreras and second baseman Anthony Seigler left the game due to injuries. Contreras fouled a ball off his left foot in the top of the third and, while remaining in the game through the bottom of that inning, later rolled the same foot while covering first base and limped off. Seigler, attempting to score on a wild pitch in the top of the third, collided with Kyle Teel at home plate and did not return for the bottom half of the inning, being replaced by Andruw Monasterio. The severity of the injuries isn’t yet known, but the old adage about players leaving midgame rings true here: it’s never a good sign when a player exits unexpectedly.
If Boston needs to make any immediate roster adjustments due to injuries, time will be of the essence. Thursday’s getaway afternoon game affords little opportunity to summon replacements from Worcester, and adding to the complexity is the possibility that Contreras could begin serving a suspension at any moment. Those factors could force the Sox to act quickly and strategically.
Bottom of the order production was a welcome sight for Boston. Jarren Duran, Carlos Narváez, and Tsung-Che Cheng combined for two walks, two runs, and three hits, providing a much-needed infusion of offense from the lower third of the lineup. The Sox have leaned heavily on stars like Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Contreras for scoring, so seeing the bottom of the order contribute is a positive development that adds balance to the lineup and can relieve some pressure on the top of the batting order.
The team’s approach with their ABS challenge system has been a talking point all season, with some calls and challenges proving aggressive. The reliance on the replay process has been a frequent subject of discussion among fans and analysts alike, as teams navigate the fine line between leveraging the system for missed calls and risking delays or safety concerns at critical moments. In this game, Boston didn’t rely on drama to secure the win, but the ongoing use—and the occasional missteps—of the ABS framework remains part of the broader conversation about in-game decision-making and the pace of play.