Walk-off magic carries over as Red Sox triumph

Xander Bogaerts gave the Red Sox the lead for keeps with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. There was no late magic required this time between the raindrops, as Boston coasted from there to a 6-3 triumph.

BOSTON -- It’s happened rather often in recent seasons.

 The Red Sox have been able to harness the energy from a walk-off victory and channel it into their next game. Boston had such an opportunity on Tuesday night at Fenway Park and took advantage against the visiting White Sox.

 Xander Bogaerts gave the Red Sox the lead for keeps with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning. There was no late magic required this time between the raindrops, as Boston coasted from there to a 6-3 triumph.

 David Price turned in six strong innings and the bullpen was solid behind him. Rafael Devers doubled three times and scored a pair of runs in his first four-hit game of the season. The Red Sox are back to seven games over .500 and came out on top for the 19th time in their past 25 games played after a walk-off win.

 “We’ll take it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We know we’re going to be better. We know that. We’ve got certain goals and we’ve got to finish strong before the All-Star break.”

 Jose Ruiz was the third Chicago pitcher of the night to begin the fifth, as the White Sox attempted to go bullpenning. Devers smashed a double to right-center and Bogaerts crushed a drive off the advertising boards hanging above the Green Monster in deep left-center. His 15th round-tripper of the season traveled 429 feet and snapped a 3-3 tie.

 “Collectively as a group and as a staff, we know how important that is from one game to the next,” Bogaerts said. “We need to get every one from now on.”

 Eduardo Nunez added a sacrifice fly to center in the sixth, the ninth time in 11 innings Boston had put up at least one run. Chicago failed to place another man in scoring position, as Matt Barnes fanned a pair after a leadoff walk in the seventh and Ryan Brasier worked around a two-out double in the eighth. Brandon Workman shrugged off a two-out double in the ninth for his third save and his 35th scoreless appearance.

 Christian Vazquez extended his hitting streak to 11 games in a key spot. The Red Sox appeared on the verge of another bases-loaded squander in the third when Vazquez grounded a two-out, two-run single through the left side. That base hit erased a 3-1 White Sox lead and plated the first of five unanswered runs for Boston.

 “We needed that at-bat,” Cora said. “We needed that hit. It felt like, ‘Here we go again.’ And he puts the ball in play.”

 It was the longest start for Price by innings and pitches thrown since his June 8 outing against the Rays. Price collected a season-high 72 strikes on 97 pitches and fanned nine against no walks. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings in a June 13 start against the Rangers and was limited to 73 pitches a week ago against the Twins.

 “That was good to get the pitch count back up, be able to throw strikes, be able to command the strike zone for the most part and be able to use everything,” Price said.

 The Red Sox enjoyed a rare lead in the first. Mookie Betts singled to deep short and was granted second base after Tim Anderson’s throw across went wide into the camera well. Devers followed by looping an RBI double down the line in left, a soft fly that landed maybe 100 feet beyond third base that made it 1-0.

 Chicago answered immediately in the second. James McCann reached on an infield error and took third base on a wild pitch. Jon Jay broke his bat on a flare to left field, an RBI single that made it 1-1.

 Heavy rain began to fall in the third, and the White Sox struck for a pair of two-out runs. McCann dug out of an 0-and-2 count to line an RBI double to the corner in left and Eloy Jimenez grounded an RBI single through the left side. Jay lined to deep left to end the threat and Price struck out five of the next seven men he faced to build steam later in his outing.

 “He’s been good the whole season,” Cora said. “We took care of him this week. Now he’ll pitch again in Toronto and probably in Detroit – two more starts before the All-Star break.”