Chicago Sports

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With Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn injured, the White Sox’ rotation depth has been tested. In his second start, Vince Velasquez’s opening frame did nothing to make the Sox forget who they’re missing.

Velasquez went 4 2/3 innings and gave up fourruns while walking threein the Sox’ 9-3loss Sunday to the Rays. After an encouraging four-inning, one-run performance on April 12 against Seattle, Velasquez struggled in a four-run first and the Sox were unable to sweep Tampa Bay.

Sox designated hitter Gavin Sheets homered in the ninth.

During a 35-pitch frame when seven straight Rays reached, Velasquez walked in two and gave up Manuel Margot’s RBI single. The key play in the inning came with one out and the bases loaded and Tampa Bay ahead 1-0. Rays left fielder Josh Lowe hit a comebacker to Velasquez for what should’ve been an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play, but the Sox pitcher couldn’t field the ball and didn’t record any outs.

Velasquez did recover to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings after the difficult first. He ended the day with 85 pitches before being replaced by Tanner Banks.

“He’s a competitor. He’s a really good athlete, outstanding athlete, outstanding competitor,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said of Velasquez before the game. “He wants it bad. Just make sure he breathes and stays within himself.”

Lowe must’ve done something similar in the bottom of the first when he leapt and reached back over the fence to take away a leadoff home run from Tim Anderson. Anderson also thought he had an RBI in the third he appeared to beat out a grounder to first but was called out after review.

Facing a Rays team that used opener J.P. Feyereisen, those were the Sox’ best chance to score until the fourth against reliever Chris Mazza. The Sox loaded the bases with one out and scored when Sheets was hit by a pitch. That was all for the Sox in that inning, as second baseman Josh Harrison struck out to end a nine-pitch at-bat before third baseman Jake Burger grounded into a force.

The Sox created another opportunity in the fifth when right fielder Adam Engel led off with a single and Anderson followed with a walk. Mazza walked first baseman Jose Abreu to load the bases and was replaced by Tampa Bay reliever Jalen Beeks. Catcher Yasmani Grandal popped out but with left fielder Eloy Jimenez at the plate, a passed ball by Rays catcher Francisco Mejia allowed Engel to score. The inning ended when a Beeks pitch got away from Mejia and Anderson tried to score but was tagged out.

Any hopes the Sox had for a rally ended during the Rays’ four-run eighth. After replacing Matt Foster, Sox reliever Anderson Severino allowed a two-run Mejia single and RBI doubles by Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena. Severino was charged with three of the four runs and threw two wild pitches.

Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier added a ninth-inning RBI single off the Sox’ Kyle Crick.

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DENVER – For the first time this season, Cubs manager David Ross worked both his catchers into the starting lineup on Sunday against the Rockies.

Backup catcher Yan Gomes took his place behind the dish, and Willson Contreras got to rest his legs and serve as the designated hitter.

“It’s felt easy to me,” Ross said of balancing Contreras and Gomes’ playing time. “Both guys you trust. With everybody, we would still have a week left in spring training in a normal season.”

With that in mind, Ross has been cognizant of possible workload issues, avoiding having relievers throw in back-to-back games, and in Contreras’ case, not having him catch in Sunday’s day game right after a night game. And Ross liked the matchup for both Contreras and Gomes against Rockies lefty Austin Gomber.

“Yan dove in, found his groove getting to know guys, how we do things, very communicative,” Ross said. “… They’ve got a good way about them, they care a lot about the pitching staff and how to get the most out of them. They both can really hit. So, it’s nice to have that core tandem catching guys. It’s always nice to have two good ones.”

The Cubs went through a backup catcher carousel last season, with multiple injuries and additions. So, Contreras shouldered a heavy workload. Ross said he’s looking forward to seeing what a rested Contreras looks like in the second half of the season.

“It already seems to be playing out really well,” Ross said. “… His batting practice, just the way he’s going about his business, his work, his engagement throughout a game with the pitching staff and the at-bats has really stood out so far to me and the way he’s running the bases. I think he’ll be able to give us that little bit extra intensity now and not be like he’s got to conserve so much. That should pay off in the long run.”

Contreras backed up Ross’ conjecture with a home run in his first at-bat Sunday. He entered the game with a .304 batting average.

Leiter poised for another start

Cubs right-hander Mark Leiter Jr., after allowing seven runs in 3 1/3 innings, promised “going forward, it’ll be better.”

It looks like he’ll get that chance soon.

“I don’t know if there’s anything guaranteed in this game,” Ross said, “but I expect him to make another start.”

The Cubs’ 9-6 loss at Coors Field on Saturday was Leiter’s first major-league game since 2018, after he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.

“First time back on the mound in a long time,” Ross said after the game, “looked sharp for a short stint, and thing got away from him quickly, and sometimes the ballpark can do that, and just the ballpark, travel, all that happens. I’m not making excuses for him, just lock that back in.”

On deck

RAYS AT CUBS

Monday: Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 7.00) vs. Shane McClanahan (0-1, 3.00), 6:40 p.m., Marquee 670-AM/1200-AM.

Tuesday: Justin Steele (1-0, 1.80) vs. TBD, 6:40 p.m., Marquee 670-AM/1200-AM.

Wednesday: Marcus Stroman (0-1, 6.00) vs. Drew Rasmussen (0-1, 5.00), 6:40 p.m., Marquee 670-AM/1200-AM.

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Two days after a fire decimated Englewood’s historic Antioch Missionary Baptist Church on Good Friday, Pastor Gerald Dew led an Easter service at a nearby funeral home where he compared the tragedy and its fallout to the biblical death and rebirth of Jesus Christ.

“Hearts were broken that Friday,” he said of Christ’s crucifixion. “Tears fell on that Friday. Hopes were dashed on that Friday. These are the emotions that we are so familiar with because we just experienced an awful Friday. Let’s thank God for resurrection Sunday.”

Not long after Dew held a Good Friday service that afternoon, fire began tearing through the historic structure at 6428 S. Stewart Ave. No one was inside the church at the time, according to Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

The fireappeared to begin in the upper reararea of the church and ultimately caused the roof to collapse, officials said. Around 150 fire personnel and 50 engines, trucks and ambulances responded to the scene and put out the fire in about two hours.

Fire investigators determined the blaze was accidental, reporting Saturday that it was caused by a propane torch being used to help work on the roof.

Built in the 1880s, the church has long been an anchor of the Englewood community. After hundreds gathered Sunday at Calahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Halsted St., Dew told reporters the service marked “a new beginning” for the church and even brought new members.

“It was just overwhelming to just see the outpouring of love and to see the positivity,” he said. “And to see [congregants] even work through their own brokenness and their own tears and their own concerns and yet be able to look past that, knowing that God has something better for us.”

Still, Dew acknowledged the congregation’s future remains uncertain, noting it’s unclear where next Sunday’s service will be held. He also called for donations to address the toll of the fire but said there’s no “end goal” for fundraising.

“We just have been bombarded by individuals that want to help and want to give and want to support,” he said. “So we just want to be diligent and responsible by setting up the proper methodology with the proper accountability to receive contributions.”

Dew said he plans to have planning conversations with other church leaders and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was on hand Sunday. Jackson called for $10,000 in donations by next Sunday as he pointed to Antioch’s deep connections to the civil rights movement, recalling the “landmark” church fed him and his family and “helped subsidize [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s] support in Chicago.”

“I’ve seen resurrection in my own lifetime,” he told the Sun-Times. “And this church is gonna be bigger and stronger than ever.”

Dewanda Day, a singer in Antioch’s choir, said she was devastated when she learned the church caught fire shortly after she left Friday’s service. A member of the congregation since she was just 18 months, Day said the spirit of the church extends beyond its walls.

“We will continue on, even though our building has been destroyed. It’s not going to stop what we do as Christians,” said Day, who lives in Harvey and brought her young daughter Sunday. “Wherever we have to be, wherever we relocate until we rebuild, that’s where we’re going and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

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An investigation into the NHL Players’ Association’s handling of Kyle Beach’s 2010 sexual assault allegations against ex-Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich has cleared the NHLPA and its director, Donald Fehr.

The investigation, conducted by the law firm Cozen O’Connor and released publicly Friday, could not “identify any individual wrongdoing or institutional failures of policy or procedure by either Fehr [or] NHLPA personnel.”

But the details within the investigation report raise far more questions than they answer.

Beach and “Black Ace 1,” the still-anonymous Hawks prospect whom Aldrich allegedly sexually harassed in 2010, refused to participate in this Cozen O’Connor investigation. Why?

Beach’s former agent, Ross Gurney, told investigators he called Fehr in December 2010 after Aldrich was hired by USA Hockey, hoping Fehr would notify USA Hockey about their new coach’s immorality. Gurney recalled describing Aldrich as either a “sexual predator” or “pedophile” to Fehr, yet Fehr swears he doesn’t remember hearing that.

How does Fehr not remember? And more importantly, why did he not notify USA Hockey at the time?

Fehr told investigators he wouldn’t have notified USA Hockey regardless without knowing more details about what Aldrich did and whether Beach had reported it. In that case, why did he not ask for such details, or why did Gurney not provide them?

Gurney told investigators he remained in regular contact with Fehr but never followed up about Aldrich. Why? And why did he not keep track of Aldrich himself and try notifying his later employers,such as Notre Dame and Miami (Ohio) universities?

Black Ace 1’s former agent, Joe Resnick, emailed Fehr in April 2011 about Black Ace 1 talking to an NHLPA-affiliated therapist about the sexual harassment he endured. In that email he wrote, “I know you have spoken with [Gurney] regarding an incident with [Beach]…last year.”

How did Resnick know about Gurney and Fehr’s conversation? The most logical possible answer is that Gurney told him, but that scenario would suggest the Beach-Aldrich assault was more widely discussed between relevant persons than the investigation suggests. What other conversations occurred? Who else might’ve been told?

Investigators found phone records of a 14-minute call between Resnick and Fehr hours after that email, yet neither Resnick nor Fehr remember the call. What was said? Why did it not lead to tangible action? How do neither remember it?

Dr. Brian Shaw, a psychologist in the NHL and NHLPA’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program, told investigators Beach gave him a “graphic account” of Aldrich’s sexual assault and asked if someone was contacting USA Hockey about Aldrich. But Shaw considered Beach’s comments a “privileged conversation” between patient and therapist and therefore confidential; thus he did not notify USA Hockey.

Why did Shaw not ask Beach if he wanted Shaw to contact USA Hockey? Why did he not clarify with Beach that perceived confidentiality?

Shaw also didn’t share this story of his call with Beach with Jenner & Block investigators during the Hawks’ investigation last year –because they asked if he’d “met” with Beach, not if he’d talked to him in general. Why did Shaw initially withhold this information over such a minor technicality?

And finally, the investigation findings clearly demonstrate a pervasive culture of poor communication and deferral of responsibility within the NHLPA and other NHL circles. So how is that not indicative of an “institutional failure of policy or procedure”?

All told, some may dismiss this investigation and its questions as relatively irrelevant. Indeed, Beach’s lawsuit has been settled and Blackhawks executives involved in the cover-up have been fired.

But to ensure another similar universal breakdown of accountability never reoccurs, all bases must be covered. The NHLPA remains the association responsible for protecting NHL players and their interests. Fehr remains its director. Gurney and Resnick remain agents. They all matter. And these questions will linger, curiously unanswered.

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The White Sox bullpen has already shown its depth. Anchored by closer Liam Hendriks and late-inning arms Kendall Graveman and Aaron Bummer, the Sox have also gotten strong contributions from relievers Bennett Sousa and Jose Ruiz.

When Joe Kelly (biceps nerve injury) returns, that group will get even deeper.

Manager Tony La Russa said Kelly recently had a “real good” throwing session at the team’s Arizona complex, pitching in the mid 90s with no discomfort. Even more encouragingly, La Russa said Kelly’s stamina showed improvement from his prior outing and is on track to face hitters soon.

“He’s doing well,” La Russa said.

Kelly’s arrival would add another personality to the bullpen mix, not to mention an arm with World Series experience. La Russa said Kelly provides “the whole package.”

“The dugout, there’s a lot of people in there, and when the team comes off the field, there’s a lot of guys,” La Russa said. “The bullpen, they’re like a little small club. And it’s good to have some characters down there, there’s some conversation. And we definitely have that going for us. But along with it, he’s going to add quality and depth to our bullpen.”

As for a rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte, La Russa said he thinks that’s the plan for Kelly, but with the reliever’s experience it might not be necessary.

For openers…

Tampa Bay used righty J.P. Feyereisen as an opener. The Rays have been at the forefront of the strategy, and La Russa said it’s something they use intelligently.

“I remember I was there in Boston when they did it. They didn’t do it because they wanted to spook everybody, they did it because their starters were hurt,” La Russa said. “And it’s just a really smart way to compete. If you do it once in a while, it does give you potential matchups, because you can go through a couple innings and change the look, don’t get to see the same guy over.”

Winning Ugly can wait

Sunday home games are usually reserved for the Sox’ 1983 “Winning Ugly” throwback alternate uniforms, but that wasn’t the case for the series finale with the Rays. Because of supply chain issues that have affected other teams around the sport, the Sox do not have their 1983 set and instead wore their standard home pinstripes on Sunday.

SOX AT GUARDIANS

Monday: Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Triston McKenzie (0-1, 2.57), 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Tuesday: Jimmy Lambert (0-1, 6.00) vs. Shane Bieber (0-0, 2.70),, 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Wednesday: Dylan Cease (2-0, 1.69) vs. Zach Plesac (0-1, 1.64), 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Thursday: Michael Kopech (0-0, 1.00) vs. Cal Quantrill (1-0, 3.72), 12:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

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DENVER — Jump throws aren’t part of Nico Hoerner’s pregame routine. But they’ve become a regular feature in his defensive highlight reel at shortstop.

“There’s fundamentals in a play like that, of sorts, but it’s not something you go into the game like, ‘Today’s the day I’m going to do that,’ ” Hoerner said. “The game kind of tells you at a certain point.”

It told him it was time during spring training on a chopper to his right against the Angels, resulting in an inning-ending play. It told him again in Pittsburgh last weekend, as he traveled deep into the hole and robbed Ke’Bryan Hayes of a single.

Only a couple weeks into the regular season, Hoerner has already put to rest any outside concerns about his ability to become an everyday big-league shortstop. He looks comfortable back in the position he had played for most of his pre-major-league career. And with defensive shifts in play, the Cubs have been able to get the most out of his range and versatility to strengthen their infield defense as a whole.

“Especially with [shortstop Andrelton] Simmons out, Nico really anchors us defensively,” said Cubs bench coach Andy Green, who works with the infielders. “He’s the kind of guy that everybody moves around defensively from our positioning standpoint. So he covers a ton of ground and we can give him space to do that.”

Take the 9-6 loss Saturday at Coors Field, for example. When left-handed hitter Charlie Blackmon hit a ground ball to shallow right field in the sixth inning, Hoerner was right there in the rover position to field it for a routine out. Then, he hustled back to the other side of second base as right-handed hitter Yonathan Daza stepped up to the plate.

“I’m still, you know, in all different parts of the diamond,” Hoerner said. “And so that’s -always going to be a part of the game.”

In previous years, when Javy Baez roamed at shortstop and Hoerner played second base, Hoerner would still move into that -rover position against lefties.

“Nico’s phenomenal in the four-hole in the outfield grass in the shift against the left-handed hitters,” Green said. “And Nick [Madrigal] turns a really good double play. So, we’re keeping Nick close to the bag, and just using that as a consistent theme against the left-handed hitters.”

The Cubs have been cognizant of balancing the workload between their middle infielders, so that won’t be the case every game. On Saturday, Jonathan Villar started at second base instead of Madrigal. When Simmons (right shoulder inflammation) returns from the 10-day injured list, there could be some games when he plays shortstop and Hoerner plays second base.

Hoerner understood that he could end up playing a variety of positions.

“In general, it’s a little easier to go from preparing to play shortstop and then moving over to second base than preparing to play second and then having to play short,” he said. “So, my attention is definitely on shortstop, took ground balls all over the place.”

The work has paid off.

“The jump throw is just kind of the highlight-reel version of what you see him do when he makes routine plays,” Green said. “He fields them on the move consistently, and he’s comfortable on the move, comfortable throwing on the move.”

There are some things that Hoerner’s looking for to judge whether to make one of those high-flying plays or hold the throw. For example, when he threw out Hayes, he noticed that the Pirates hitter was jammed on the play and didn’t get out of the box well. But mostly, he lets instinct take over.

“Javy probably would have made that play, too, but he would have done it in a different way,” Hoerner said. “He would have thrown it on the run, he wouldn’t have jumped. That’s how he does it. And that’s what works for his body. So, just figuring out what works best for your own body, and letting athleticism come to play.”

No one can be Baez. But the Cubs have -another shortstop making ridiculous plays look easy in his own way.

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DENVER – The Cubs made a pair of corresponding roster moves to put right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. on the roster before his start against the Rockies on Saturday.

To open a spot on the active roster for Leiter, the Cubs optioned first baseman/outfielder Alfonso Rivas to Triple-A after the Cubs’ 6-5 loss at Coors Field on Friday. Rivas, who debuted last year, has recorded a hit in each of the games he’s appeared in this season, going 2-for-4.

“The first thing I say when those things happen is, ‘This sucks, for all of us,'” Cubs manager David Ross said of breaking the news to Rivas. “It’s just part of the options game, when you’ve got to make a move for a pitcher. Those things happen throughout the season, it’s never good news.

“The guy swings the bat well, he’s very professional in his work, he’s a great defensive first baseman, gives you a quality at-bat every single time. He’s a winning player. I believe in him, he believes in himself. So, it’s just one of those, ‘Hey, go get some consistent at-bats. We’ll see you soon.'”

To make room for Leiter on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated right-hander Cory Abbott for assignment. Abbott has pitched two games in Triple-A this season, allowing a total of three runs in six innings.

In other roster news

The Cubs also acted on a clause in left-hander Locke St. John’s contract, adding him to the 40-man roster to keep him in the organization. They selected his contract from Triple-A and then optioned him to Iowa.

To make room for St. John on the roster, the Cubs designated outfielder Greg Deichmann for assignment.

Injury updates

Cubs southpaw Wade Miley (left elbow inflammation) threw off the mound on Saturday for the first time since the team shut him down in spring training. He tossed 15 pitches, and the Cubs will evaluate his recovery before determining next steps.

Right-hander Alec Mills (lower back strain) was scheduled to throw a bullpen Saturday in Arizona.

Both pitchers started the season on the 10-day IL, a blow to the Cubs’ rotation depth.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Blackhawks officially burned the first year of Lukas Reichel’s three-year entry-level contract Saturday.

The Hawks’ top prospect played his 10th NHL game of the season –crossing the threshold that will make him a restricted free agent in 2024 instead of 2025 — in the Hawks’ 4-3 loss to the Predators.

Fittingly, Reichel finally earned his first career NHL point in the game, tallying the secondary assist on Dominik Kubalik’s second-period goal after making a smart pass to Jake McCabe.

“I’m sure it’s a relief for him,” Hawks interim coach Derek King said. “It [was] a good heads-up play, and that’s what we expect from him. Him getting that point is going to make him feel better, get a little confidence, not squeeze his stick as much [while] thinking, ‘I’ve got to get points. I’ve got to get points.’ I was happy for the kid.”

Reichel has come close on many occasions, especially recently, to finally breaking through. He barely missed several high-grade scoring opportunities Tuesday against the Kings, in particular.

Now that the goose egg is gone, the floodgates will ideally open.

“I’ve had great chances the last few games,” Reichel said. “My first call-up, I had some chances, [too]. It makes you feel better whenyou get your first point. But obviously [in] the game, we battled to the end but we lost, so we’ve got to learn from it.”

The Hawks indeed pushed hard late, cutting a two-goal deficit to one and nearly zero, but their 15-3 edge in shot attempts over the final nine minutes couldn’t cancel out the Predators’ 56-32 advantage up to that point.

It’s rare for teams to intentionally burn a contract year when a borderline AHL-NHL prospect like Reichel is eligible for a contract slide.

The extra year with a cheap entry-level salary cap hit –in Reichel’s case, $925,000 –is valuable. This season alone, the Sharks held William Eklund, the Ducks held Mason McTavish and the Blues held Jake Neighbours at nine games each for that reason.

But Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson has previously presented the counterargument that getting Reichel to RFA status a year quicker could make his next contract more affordable, as he’ll have one fewer season of NHL production to reference in negotiations.

“I’m not too concerned with it, to be honest,” Davidson said April 1. “Once we’re looking at really…utilizing every dollar [under the cap], he’s probably going to be in a different contract anyway, out of his entry-level. [If] we burn it, we burn it.”

Now the focus turns to Reichel’s shorter-term development.

He has been competent but not especially impactful during his first 10 games; King said Friday he has “come not a long ways but…a little ways” this season. The Hawks certainly hope this is just the tip of the iceberg for their unanimous top prospect.

One area in which Reichel, like many 19-year-old forwards, absolutely needs to improve is his strength. With his bony 6-foot, 170-pound frame, he’s noticeably weaker than many of the hulking opponents he faces every game.

This offseason will be a crucial time in that regard. At the recommendation of the Hawks and his agent, Allain Roy, Reichel plans to stay in Chicago for most of the summer.

He’ll be working out with renowned Hawks strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman, whose coaching will likely boost his confidence and mental maturation just as much as his physical growth.

“He’s going to be a good hockey player,” King said. “He just needs to mature, get some facial hair, maybe lose a tooth or so and build up some muscle up and strength, and you’ll see him — he’ll take off.”

Added Reichel: “I’ve got to get stronger. It’s my goal.”

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If Saturday’s 3-2win over the Rays had come later in the year, perhaps White Sox starter Michael Kopech would’ve lasted longer than five innings. Yet two weeks into the season and still barely removed from an abbreviated spring training, Kopech was removed after throwing 75 pitches and giving up just one unearned run.

“Right now, I think we’re still in spring training mode as far as building up and not going to a certain level beyond that,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said.

In his second start of the year, the level Kopech reached Saturday looked pretty lofty.

Kopech struck out five, allowed one hit and got 13 whiffs to recover from a rocky first when he threw 25 pitches and fell behind. Jose Abreu’s two-run homer in the fourth was his first of the season, and the Sox went ahead for good in the sixth on Yasmani Grandal’s run-scoring single, leading to their sixth win in eight games to begin the season.

During the first inning, Kopech walked two and fell behind on Harold Ramirez’s sacrifice fly to left that brought in Brandon Lowe. The run was unearned because of Randy Arozarena’s infield single when he reached second on Sox third baseman Josh Harrison’s throwing error.

After Harrison’s throw was wide of first, Abreu retrieved the ball and his relay to second was well ahead of Arozarena, but the Tampa Bay left fielder fell to the dirt and avoided Tim Anderson’s tag, allowing him to advance.

The last four innings were different for Kopech, who topped out at 97.8 mph.

The 25-year-old righty retired the last 10 he faced. Four of the final six outs Kopech recorded were via strikeout, and his last pitch was a 96.2 mph fastball that Lowe swung through.

Yet because of the early-season caution, that was it for Kopech.La Russa hinted before the game he’d rather take a pitcher out too early than too late.

“The better he pitches, the longer he lasts, the better it is for us. But at some point, when a guy starts to lose it, too, bad things happen,” La Russa said. “You push him and he turns a good outing into one he has bad vibes about or he gets hurt. We can all see it; the delivery starts to fall apart, breaking ball starts hanging, loses some zip on his fastball, loses command. It isn’t that tough [to see] if you watch closely.”

Rays starter Corey Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland, looked like his former self by retiring the first nine Sox hitters. But after Anderson’s infield single, Abreu homered to give the Sox a 2-1 lead.

Kopech didn’t get a decision after the Rays tied the game in the top of the sixth on Manuel Margot’s two-out RBI single off Sox reliever Reynaldo Lopez. The Sox regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on Grandal’s run-scoring single that brought in Luis Robert.

Even without Kendall Graveman and Aaron Bummer, the Sox bullpen was able to get the game to Liam Hendriks. Jose Ruiz threw a scoreless seventh and Bennett Sousa followed suit in the eighth before Hendriks earned the save to seal the Sox’ second win in the series. That save, however, wasn’t easy, as Hendriks loaded the bases with two outs but struck out Taylor Walls to end the game.

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