The Red Sox went into Thursday afternoon at Rate Field trying to finish off a three-game sweep of the White Sox, and they did it with Patrick Sandoval on the mound for his first major league appearance since June 21, 2024. Anthony Kay started for the White Sox in the 2:10 p.m. finale, giving Boston a chance to extend a road trip that had already opened with five straight wins.
That run has turned a routine series into something bigger for Boston. The Red Sox had won 10 of their last 12 games after Wednesday’s 5-0 victory, had taken four of their last six series, and were 5-2-1 in their last seven road series. Caleb Durbin summed up the mood simply: the club is having fun, and it shows in a clubhouse that feels different when the wins keep coming.
Sandoval’s return is the part that makes the game worth watching beyond the standings. He was making his first major league appearance in more than a year, and the matchup offered an immediate test against a White Sox lineup that had power in the order but had gone silent over its previous 11 innings. Chicago entered fourth in the majors in home runs, yet the offense had not carried that power into the final stretch of the series.
Boston’s starter also brought a clear history with this opponent. Sandoval was 0-3 with a 7.63 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox, while the White Sox sent out Kay, who was 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA in five relief appearances against the Red Sox and was looking for his first win since June 12. Kay had also failed to go beyond four innings in three of his last four starts, adding another layer to a game that could swing quickly if either side found a rhythm early.
There were lineup changes on both sides, too. Willson Contreras was out after leaving Wednesday’s game with a left foot contusion in the third inning, and Chad Tracy said afterward that Contreras could put weight on the foot and believed the injury was day-to-day. Anthony Seigler also exited in the third with a right trapezius contusion, and Tracy said he was dealing with soreness. For Boston, Brett Harris, called up from Worcester, started at first base and batted eighth.
The Red Sox have built this stretch on more than timely hits. Their starters had recorded quality starts in 16 of their last 19 games, and the club had 41 quality starts, third most in MLB behind only the Dodgers and Mariners. They had also won 18 of their last 28 road games, even though they remained 12-22 in day games. That is the backdrop for Thursday’s finale: a team in form, a starter returning after a long layoff, and a chance to leave the White Sox behind with a sweep. What Sandoval can give Boston, and how long he can hold up after so much time away, is the question that matters next.
