Jarren Duran and Enmanuel Valdez homered, Tanner Houck pitched seven solid innings and the Boston Red Sox handed the White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, beating Chicago 14-2 on Thursday night.
The White Sox surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team while extending baseball’s longest slide this season. They are a major league-worst 15-48.
Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela each had four of Boston’s season-high 24 hits. Duran got the rout started with his third career leadoff homer.
Valdez added a three-run drive against White Sox starter Jake Woodford (0-2) in the fourth and Boston scored four in the inning to go up 7-0. Pinch hitter Jamie Westbrook hit his first major league homer in the seventh, and the Red Sox rolled to another easy win after beating Atlanta 9-0 on Wednesday.
“They were relentless today, dominated the strike zone,” manager Alex Cora said. “Tanner, of course from the mound, dominant, throwing strikes, mixing it up. It was a good one.”
For the White Sox, this was about as bad as it gets. The 24 hits allowed and 12-run difference were season highs.
“It was difficult but today’s over, we can flush it and prepare to win tomorrow,” shortstop Paul DeJong said. "That’s all we can really do, is control what we can do in the moment. Right now the game’s over and let’s go home and rest and get ready to go tomorrow.”
Houck (6-5) allowed two runs and three hits, and struck out nine without a walk. The only runner the right-hander allowed through the first five innings was when he hit a batter in the second.
Houck gave up a leadoff single in the sixth to Lenyn Sosa, who scored on Zach DeLoach’s double. Andrew Vaughn homered for Chicago in the seventh.
Woodford got tagged for seven runs and 10 hits — matching a career high and setting one — in four innings.
The game marked the return to Chicago of former White Sox closer Liam Hendriks and starter Lucas Giolito, though both are working their way back from elbow surgery. The two were part of playoff teams — and the sudden decline.
“We failed,” said Hendriks, who signed with Boston after Chicago declined a $15 million option. “We failed the city. We failed the front office. We failed everyone around.”
Giolito, traded to the Los Angeles Angels last July, said his “one regret” is the White Sox failed to take advantage of a “window where we could have really done something special.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: DH/OF Masataka Yoshida (strained left thumb), on the IL since late April, remains on course to begin a rehab assignment this weekend, Cora said. ... The Red Sox reinstated RHP Isaiah Campbell (right shoulder impingement) from the 15-Day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.
White Sox: RHP Mike Clevinger (right elbow inflammation) will likely need multiple rehab outings before he returns to the rotation, manager Pedro Grifol said. ... Grifol said OF Eloy Jiménez (strained left hamstring) could begin a rehab assignment mid to late next week. Jiménez was hurt scoring from second in Chicago's 5-0 win at Toronto on May 21. ... 3B Yoán Moncada's recovery from a strained left adductor has been slowed, though he hasn't suffered a setback, Grifol said. Moncada, who has not played since April 9, is projected to return sometime after the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
The White Sox send LHP Garrett Crochet (5-5, 3.49 ERA) to the mound, while the Red Sox go with RHP Cooper Criswell (3-2, 3.92). Crochet is 4-1 with a 1.03 ERA in his past six starts. Criswell went five innings in a win over Detroit on Saturday.
