Red Sox 8, White Sox 7 (10 innings): Load ‘em and leave ‘em

The traditional followed-from-work bullet-point recap:

*The White Sox had the bases loaded and nobody out twice in the late innings, and came away with zero runs. Worse yet, the same three hitters -- J.B. Shuck, Tim Anderson and Adam Eaton -- failed the Sox each time. The first time, they failed to extend a 7-6 lead in the eighth. The second time, they failed to take any kind of lead in the 10th.

*Matt Purke lost the game in the 10th. Taking over for David Robertson, he walked two of the first three batters he faced, then gave up a bloop single to Xander Bogaerts that scored the decisive run.

*James Shields had his best start yet, which isn’t saying much. He held the Red Sox to one run through five innings and took a 4-1 lead into the sixth, but he couldn’t go any further, ending his day with two walks to start the inning.

*The compromised bullpen and Brett Lawrie’s defense couldn’t pick him up. Matt Albers plunked Jackie Bradley on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases, and two runs came around to score when Lawrie bounced a throw past Jose Abreu on a chopper to second base. An RBI single by Sandy Leon tied the game, and a fielder’s choice tied the game.

(Lawrie seems to lead the league in almost-turned double plays.)

*Before the bases-loaded duds, the White Sox offense had fight. Jose Abreu followed singles by Anderson and Eaton with a three-run homer over the Green Monster, giving the White Sox a 7-5 lead. It was sweet revenge for Abreu, who, earlier in the game, absorbed a suspect HBP from Rick Porcello after a late time call the (non-)pitch before.

*Chris Beck made his 2016 debut afterward and promptly — wait for it — loaded the bases with nobody out. He allowed a run on a sac fly, but Lawrie snagged a bad Bradley bunt for the second out, and he struck out Ramirez to end the inning.

*Nate Jones gave up the lead in the eighth. After the Sox faltered in their quest for insurance runs in the top of the inning, the inning started with a lineout to right. More hard contact resulted in a one-out double off the Monster, and after a strikeout, Dustin Pedroia tied the game with a single just over the glove of a leaping Anderson.

*David Robertson had his own trouble in the ninth, but he pitched around David Ortiz’s leadoff ground-rule double with a strikeout, lineout and strikeout.

*The White Sox took a quick 2-0 lead thanks to some help from Boston. They — wait for it — loaded the bases with nobody out on a single, HBP and infield single, and one run came home on Melky Cabrera’s double play. #WILDPITCHOFFENSE scored the second run.

*They didn’t score a run on their own until the fourth. Lawrie and Alex Avila singled with one out, and J.B. Shuck drove in Lawrie with a single to right. The throw home was cut off and redirected to third, getting Avila.

*Melky Cabrera hustled his way to a triple to start the sixth (Bradley triple-clutched before throwing the ball to the infield), and Todd Frazier drove him in with a sac fly to tie the game at 5.

*Avila went 4-for-5 for his third four-hit game, and his first that wasn’t against the White Sox.

*Shields’ final line: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. In other words, Mat Latos.

*The White Sox finished up their season series against Boston 4-3. They’re 30-19 against teams that aren’t the Indians, Royals and Tigers.

Record: 36-37 | Box score | Highlights