White Sox Beat Buchholz, Red Sox 3-1
BOSTON -- Chris Sale mowed down baseball's most lethal lineup, and in return he became the majors' first 12-game winner as the Chicago White Sox quieted the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Sale (12-2) struck out nine, tying a season high, and allowed one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings as Chicago (35-36) won its fifth game in six tries in Boston.
Todd Frazier hit his 20th home run of the season, Tim Anderson slugged his first career homer and Melky Cabrera drove in a run for the White Sox.
Frazier has hit 19 or more homers in five straight seasons, including a career-high 35 last season with the Cincinnati Reds.
David Robertson came on with two on and two out in the eighth, but immediately forced an inning-ending groundout. He pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his 18th save.
Mookie Betts drove in the lone run for Boston (39-31), which has dropped six of nine.
Clay Buchholz's return to the Red Sox's rotation was listless as he served up a pair of homers and gave up three runs total on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in five innings.
Buchholz (3-7) lost his starting job May 26 after giving up six runs in an 8-2 loss against Colorado and had made five relief appearances since.
Anderson welcomed Buchholz back with a first-pitch leadoff bomb that cleared the Green Monster in left field. On the next pitch, Adam Eaton ripped a double off the wall in left, eliciting boos for Buchholz from the Fenway crowd.
Eaton later scored on Cabrera's sacrifice fly, giving the White Sox an early cushion.
Boston's retort was a third-inning sacrifice fly by Betts, but a chance at greater damage withered as Hanley Ramirez struck out swinging with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Frazier snagged the two-run lead right back, walloping a solo shot to left in the fourth.
NOTES: Boston DH David Ortiz did not start and 1B Hanley Ramirez filled in as the designated hitter. Ortiz pinch hit and walked in the ninth, and has played 1,866 games with the Red Sox, passing Bobby Doerr for fifth-most in franchise history. ... Ortiz and teammate SS Xander Bogaerts lead their positions in American Leaguye All-Star fan balloting. Boston CF Jackie Bradley Jr. and RF Mookie Betts rank second and third, respectively, among outfielders. Chicago LF Melky Cabrera ranks 14th. ... Red Sox INF/OF Brock Holt (concussion) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, going 2-for-3 with two doubles after starting in left field and playing five innings. ... White Sox RHP Zach Putnam (ulnar neuritis in right elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list. RHP Chris Beck was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. ... White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (5-7, 2.63 ERA) counters Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 6.97) on Wednesday.
