Patrick Sandoval, Red Sox relievers dominate in series sweep of White Sox

Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald on Jul 9, 2026

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The Boston Red Sox weren’t exactly sure what they would get from left-hander Patrick Sandoval when he stepped on the mound Thursday afternoon for his first big league game in 748 days.

They got as much, if not more than they hoped. Sandoval pitched 4 1/3 innings on 65 pitches (41 for strikes), and allowed one earned run on five hits, walked one and struck out five. The Boston bullpen followed with stupendous collective effort, and in a timely two hours and 32 minutes, the Red Sox completed 2-1 victory for a series sweep of the White Sox.

Sandoval’s first inning of work since June 21 was a breezy 1-2-3 frame on eight pitches. The White Sox put at least one man on in each of Sandoval’s remaining frames, but he navigated around traffic until the bottom of the fifth, when Luisangel Acuna led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third, and Sandoval issued a walk to former Red Sox prospect Chase Meidroth to put runners on the corners.

Flamethrower Tyron Guerrero took over for Sandoval, and old friend Andrew Benintendi greeted Guerrero with a pinch-hit infield dribbler; the soft single scored Acuna before the righty reliever finished the frame.

The Red Sox didn’t do much offensively. The lineup was missing its most formidable big bat as Willson Contreras’ suspension, reduced from seven games to five on appeal, began Thursday. Without their All-Star first baseman, the offense failed to collect a hit against the White Sox bullpen. Overall the Red Sox managed four hits, four walks and struck out six times. They were 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

Boston had select chances against lefty starter Anthony Kay in his 5 1/3 innings (92 pitches, 56 for strikes). The White Sox southpaw issued two walks and struck out four, but one of the four hits he allowed was Caleb Durbin’s two-run homer, which gave Boston the lead in the top of the fourth.

Their best scoring opportunity otherwise was in the top of the third, when Kay hit Brett Harris with a pitch to lead off the inning and Connor Wong barely beat the White Sox starter to first base to reach with a single. The safe call was upheld after a lengthy review, but it mattered not. Anthony Seigler’s sacrifice bunt advanced both men, but they were stranded as Kay recorded the remaining two outs.

Jordan Hicks’ short-lived Red Sox tenure last year didn’t end well, but he had a strong series against them. The righty relieved Kay and pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings with two strikeouts. And the Red Sox paid Hicks to do so, as they sent $8 million to cover a portion of his contract when they dealt him to Chicago during the offseason.

In the absence of the hit parades the Red Sox have put on almost daily lately, the Boston bullpen stepped up. Garrett Whitlock pitched a dominant 1-2-3 seventh with two strikeouts. Justin Slaten completed a marvelous bottom of the eighth with help from Jarren Duran, who covered 94 feet of ground to make a catch by the left field stands, and Ceddanne Rafaela made a diving catch to help closer Aroldis Chapman finish off a rapid 1-2-3 ninth.

“You don’t make those plays, and it could be a different ballgame,” Durbin told NESN’s Jahmai Webster postgame.