BOSTON (AP) — Dominic Fletcher’s RBI double sparked a five-run ninth inning and the Chicago White Sox avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Chicago starter Chris Flexen’s winless streak extended to 21 straight starts — the longest in team history — after he was pulled with the game tied in the seventh inning. The 30-year-old right-hander gave up two runs on six hits, striking out six and walking one.
The White Sox had lost his previous 20 starts, which is a major league record.
“Just show up everyday and try to get better each week,” Flexen said of the personal streak. “Just stick with my routine and focus on getting ready for every start. … Just continue to stick with the routine, work hard and not give up. Just compete — that’s all you can do.”
Chicago (33-111) had lost 14 of its last 15 games before rallying against Boston reliever Zack Kelly (6-3). Zach DeLoach added a two-run single in the ninth inning.
“Just a lot of guys competing, a lot of guys that want to win and just go out there and compete,” Fletcher said. “Even though we’ve been struggling a little bit lately, we want to go out there and compete and try to win every game.”
The MLB-worst White Sox are nine losses away from tying the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses since 1900, and are on pace to finish 37-125. The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the MLB loss record at 20-134.
Wilyer Abreu and Connor Wong had solo homers for Boston, which lost for the 10th time in 16 games and trails Minnesota for the American League’s third and final wild-card spot.
“We didn’t do much today offensively,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “They put the ball in play, found some holes, obviously, the ninth inning that happened, but offensively we didn’t do much.”
Fraser Ellard (2-2) got two outs in relief and earned the victory.
After Fletcher’s double, Jacob Amaya had an RBI single before DeLoach’s runs-scoring hit. Luis Robert Jr. added a sacrifice fly.
Boston starter Richard Fitts made his major league debut and worked 5 2/3 solid innings. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed two unearned runs, six hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Fitts, who had about 20 family and friends present for his debut. “Today was really special just because I got to share it with my family and I’m really honored to be a Red Sox for today and hopefully for a long time.”
Fitts was pulled in the sixth with a runner on third. Korey Lee’s infield hit off Greg Weissert gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. Fitts allowed the first run in the sixth on Andrew Benintendi’s ground out after DeLoach reached second after first baseman Triston Casas misplayed his grounder for an error.
Abreu tied the game at 2 with his 15th homer, a drive estimated at 427 feet that traveled over Boston’s bullpen in the bottom half of the sixth.
Wong’s 13th homer of the season reached the last row of seats above the Green Monster in the second.
Recalled from Triple-A Worcester before the game, Fitts was acquired from the New York Yankees along with Weissert and another minor league pitcher for outfielder Alex Verdugo during the offseason.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Cora said RHP Tanner Houck would be pushed back for extra rest and start on Friday in the second of a four-game series at the New York Yankees. … Cora plans to use Trevor Story every day until the shortstop feels like he needs the rest. Story came off the injured list and played Saturday, following what was expected to be season-ending shoulder surgery in April.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Open a three-game series Monday at home against Cleveland. RHP Ben Lively (11-9, 4.07 ERA) is set to start for the Guardians. The White Sox starter has not been named.
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (12-7, 4.75) is scheduled to start Monday in the opener of a three-game series against Baltimore. The Orioles haven’t announced a starter.
___
AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/mlb
