CHICAGO — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (7-8) look largely inept in an 11-1 loss to the White Sox, a team that had lost eight in a row entering Friday’s series opener at Rate Field:
1) It’s one thing to struggle offensively against the likes of experienced veterans like Toronto’s José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt. But 28-year-old White Sox starter Davis Martin entered his Friday outing with a 4.71 ERA in just 27 big league games (21 starts).
That mattered little to a Red Sox offense that remains stuck in the mud — and bottomed out in the series opener. Martin dominated the Sox through his first six innings, allowing four hits and striking out six. He needed just 83 pitches through six frames before departing midway through the seventh.
If not for a Blake Sabol sacrifice fly in the seventh, the Red Sox would have been shut out. Their struggles with runners in scoring position continued (1-for-9). In all, Boston left nine on base and had seven hits.
2) Much has been made of Triston Casas’ poor offensive start, and after a 1-for-4 showing Friday (with a late double), he’s hitting just .176 with a .530 OPS so far. But it was a defensive miscue that turned the game in the White Sox’ favor early.
With one out and a man on first in the fourth, Omar Narváez hit a grounder toward Casas that could have been an inning-ending double play ball. Instead, he bobbled it, failing to record an out and extending the inning. Sean Newcomb quickly got a strikeout before things unraveled. Three straight hits from the top of the order (double, single, single) allowed the White Sox to stretch their lead from 2-0 to 6-0.
The Red Sox have not been good defensively during this recent stretch and that continued Friday with five errors (though were on catcher’s interference calls against Sabol). Casas, Ceddanne Rafaela and Josh Winckowski all had miscues in the field. Six of Chicago’s 11 runs were unearned.
The loss was Boston’s first game with five or more errors since August 21, 2021.
3) Newcomb’s night was not great, but he wasn’t fully to blame. He was charged with six runs, but just two of them were earned thanks to the Casas error. Newcomb needed 94 pitches to get through four innings and allowed six hits. He struck out six.
The Mass. native has a 4.97 ERA through three starts. He could lose his rotation spot very soon if the Red Sox deem Brayan Bello to be ready to make his 2025 debut after he stretched out to four innings Friday in Worcester.
Newcomb can’t be optioned to the minors freely, so the Red Sox will have to decide whether to put him in a long relief role or designate him for assignment when rotation reinforcements are ready.
4) The Red Sox continue to get little to no production from the bottom of their lineup. Kristian Campbell (2-for-4, 2 K) had two hits from the seventh spot but Sabol (0-for-3, RBI) and Rafaela (0-for-3, 2 K, HBP) didn’t do much. Sabol grounded into an inning-ending double play to kill an early rally in the second. He’s in search of his first Red Sox hit.
The White Sox also were 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts against Sabol, who is known for a poor throwing arm and was 0-for-15 throwing out runners at Triple-A before being called up. It might just be a matter of time before the Sox give Yasmani Grandal a shot.
5) In his MLB debut, Chase Meidroth was, well, as advertised for the White Sox. The rookie, who was sent to Chicago as part of the Garrett Crochet blockbuster in December, reached base in all four of his plate appearances, with three walks and a single.
For a player who led the minors with 105 walks a year ago for the WooSox, it was more of the same.
6) There is no such thing as a walkover in Major League Baseball. But teams with high expectations like the Red Sox should beat up on teams like the White Sox, who do not have a much-improved roster after losing 121 games in 2024 and entered Friday losers of eight in a row. A series loss is borderline unacceptable, even this early.
Boston has now lost four of five. Six of their next nine are against Chicago.
7) Rookie Richard Fitts (0-2, 4.50 ERA) will be tasked with getting the Red Sox back on track Saturday when he makes his third start of 2025. The White Sox will counter with old friend Martín Pérez (1-0, 0.73 ERA), who has dominated early in his inaugural season in Chicago.
First pitch is at 4:10 p.m. ET.
