Boston sweeps with 7-6 win over White Sox

BOSTON (AP) — Outhitting Boston wasn't quite enough for the Chicago White Sox to avoid a three-game sweep against the Red Sox.

Chicago finished with 11 hits, but the White Sox also walked eight, matching Boston's hit total as the Red Sox held off the White Sox 7-6 on Sunday.

"You put guys on with these guys and you're just asking for trouble. They can hit. They can work at-bats," manager Robin Ventura said. "When you're just putting them on base, it becomes a long haul and they make you pay for it."

Ventura had to watch the end from the clubhouse after getting ejected in the fourth for arguing a call at third base that led to a run for Boston.

With Jacoby Ellsbury on third and one out, Dustin Pedroia hit a line drive that third baseman Conor Gillaspie made what looked like a diving grab on, but the ball dropped out of his glove as he stretched trying to double-up Ellsbury. Gillaspie then got up and fired to first, bouncing one wild as the run scored and Pedroia advanced to second.

Third base umpire Paul Nauert ruled that he dropped it before completing the catch.

"Obviously I think I caught it. Until I know that for sure, I'm going to try to get the guy out at first running, too," Gillaspie said. "After I caught it and hit the ground, I kind of came up and it came out a little bit. It's obviously a tough play and a tough error for me."

Ventura argued and was tossed by second base umpire Dana DeMuth. David Ortiz followed with an RBI single, making it 7-4.

"He felt he didn't control it all the way and I felt he did and he was going for the second out," Ventura said. "Obviously we didn't agree."

Ortiz continued to rebound from a miserable stretch with two hits and three RBIs. Stephen Drew added a solo homer for the AL East-leading Red Sox, who won for the seventh time in eight games.

Ortiz is 5 for 9 with six RBIs since going hitless in his previous 23 at-bats. He needs two hits to become the 39th player in major league history with 2,000 hits, 400 homers and 1,400 RBIs.

Brandon Workman (4-2) got four outs in relief for the victory after starter Felix Doubront couldn't make it out of the fourth inning. Koji Uehara, the fifth Red Sox reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Tyler Flowers had a solo homer and Gillaspie drove in two runs for the White Sox.

Leading 5-4 in the fourth, the Red Sox scored a pair of runs against reliever Charlie Leesman — one coming on a weird play at third. With Jacoby Ellsbury on third and one out, Dustin Pedroia hit a line drive that third baseman Gillaspie made what looked like a diving grab on, but the ball dropped out of his glove as he stretched trying to double-up Ellsbury. Gillaspie then got up and fired to first, bouncing one wild as the run scored and Pedroia advanced to second.

Third base umpire Paul Nauert ruled that he dropped it before completing the catch. Manager Robin Ventura argued and was tossed by second base umpire Dana DeMuth. Ortiz followed with an RBI single, making it 7-4.

Flowers' homer cut it to 7-6 in the eighth.

Boston had opened a 5-0 lead after three innings against starter Andre Rienzo (1-1) before the White Sox rallied back with four in the fourth, chasing Doubront.

Doubront lasted just 3 2-3 innings, giving up seven hits and four runs, snapping Boston's streak of a starter allowing three runs or fewer at 11 games. It matched the longest by the team since 1988. The previous best was 12 in 1915.

In the fourth, Jeff Keppinger had a sacrifice fly, Dayan Viciedo an RBI double and Gillaspie a two-run single. The White Sox had the bases loaded, but Workman struck out Leury Garcia to end the inning.

Ortiz's two-run double capped a four-run second after Ellsbury had a two-run single. Drew's homer made it 5-0.

Rienzo gave up five runs and five hits in three innings.

NOTES: Red Sox RF Shane Victorino left the game with a bruised left hip after his at-bat in the sixth. ... Boston manager John Farrell loaded his lineup with left-handed and switch hitters, giving 1B Mike Napoli the day off. "Rest and keep everyone involved," he said. "A right-hander's on the mound, get left-handers off the bench, and into today's game. We've got three more righties coming the next series (against Detroit)." The Red Sox had six of their nine batters hitting from the left side against Rienzo. ... Ventura gave INF Gordon Beckham and DH/INF Adam Dunn the day off because both have been struggling. "He's had little things here and there, he's just frustrated," Ventura said of Beckham, who is in a 7-for-50 slump. Dunn is in a 5-for-46 stretch. ... John Lackey (8-11, 3.19 ERA) goes for Boston when it opens a three-game series against AL Central-leading Tigers and Doug Fister (10-7, 3.81 ERA). ... Jose Quintana (7-4, 3.66 ERA) is slated to face the New York's Phil Hughes (4-13, 4.91 ERA) Monday at Yankee Stadium. ... The Red Sox improved to a majors' best 25-12 in day games. ... There was a 19-minute rain delay before the start.

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