White Sox 5, Red Sox 4: Melk Man Delivers on Holidays

The undercard of the highly anticipated Chris Sale vs. Jose Quintana match delivered in a big way on Memorial Day. It was seemingly a mismatch with David Holmberg getting the spot start for the White Sox facing the returning David Price, but the White Sox pitching kept them in the game and the offense delivered a late inning comeback victory to send the crowd home happy.

Melky Cabrera was the hero. With the right Sox trailing 1-0 in the third, Adam Engel and Tim Anderson worked one-out walks. Melky jumped all over the first pitch and blasted one deep into the left field seats to give the good guys a 3-1 lead.

The lead didn’t last long, though. Holmberg, who had been pitching out of the bullpen, was called upon to get through the fourth inning. He accomplished that, but not before giving up two runs. The dreaded lead off walk put Hanley Ramirez on. After a Chris Young flyout, Sam Travis also drew a walk. Both would come around to score as Boston would tie the game at three.

The bullpen was called upon in the fifth, and Mookie Betts hit a line smash that somehow stayed in the air long enough to hit the top of the wall and carom off of the foul pole to give Boston the 4-3 lead.

The boys decided to play pepper with the right field line to start the seventh though, as Yolmer Sanchez yanked a triple to lead off the inning. Kevan Smith followed with an opposite field double to tie the game. After Adam Engel struck out by fouling off a bunt with two strikes and Tim Anderson hit a chopper to third, it was up to Melky again. Cabrera hit an ultimate ducksnort over the second base bag. Smith, moving on contact rounded third and headed for home. Josh Rutledge, who was playing second after replacing the injured Dustin Pedroia, grabbed it with his bare hand and fired home. The ball skipped under Christian Vazquez’ glove and Smith slid across for the go ahead run.

Out came the Tommy Gun, Tommy Kahnle, for the eighth. He sent the Red Sox down in order, with two strikeouts surrounding a deep blast by pinch hitter Andrew Benintendi that stayed in the park.

In the ninth it was Diamond David Robertson who slammed the door shut on the Carmines with strikeouts of Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon.

The White Sox are now 4-1 on the homestand.

• Jose Abreu’s 10-game hitting streak was snapped, but he made some nice defensive plays in the game. Abreu caught a grounder in the hole and after Holmberg was late covering first slid into the bag and collided with Dustin Pedroia. At first, it looked like Abreu hurt his knee, but he was fine. Pedroia eventually left the game with a sprained wrist.
• Juan Minaya, Kahnle and Robertson struck out seven guys in the last three innings of the game and allowed only one walk. Minaya earned his first victory of the season and the second of his career.

Record: 24-26 | Box Score