Mike Clevinger allowed two solo homers for the Chicago White Sox in yet another quality start on Sunday afternoon. Elvis Andrus knocked in two runs to get the Pale Hose on the board against the Boston Red Sox, and Gavin Sheets added what turned into an insurance run. Rain at Fenway Park delayed the game, which was eventually called in the sixth resulting in a 3-2 White Sox win.
Clevinger earned the win with a six-inning complete game.
"That's always nice," he said when told he was credited with a complete game.
The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits with no walks or strikeouts. Two of those hits left the premises and accounted for Boston's only two runs. Wilyer Abreu and Adam Duvall each launched solo homers in the second and sixth, respectively.
The South Siders' big hit came from Elvis Andrus in the fifth inning after Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford walked a pair.
In the seventh, Gavin Sheets knocked in the deciding run on a sacrifice fly. Duvall's homer, a big fly ball that cleared the green monster, cut Chicago's lead to one before the game was called.
Clevinger has by far been the White Sox' best starting pitcher since the trade deadline. Despite spending two months on the injured list, the righty has made 23 starts and will likely have one more before the season's conclusion. Since his return from the IL, he's made 11 starts, seven of which were quality starts. Over that span, he's pitched to a 2.96 ERA with 55 punchouts against 12 free passes.
The Future
The veteran has a mutual option with Chicago for 2024, but if performance is an indicator, Clevinger will have multi-year contract offers in free agency. The 32-year-old is owed $4 million by the White Sox, which is part of the guaranteed portion of his agreement. Chicago paid him $8 million in 2023 and placed him on waivers at the end of August.
News and Notes
The shortened game helped the White Sox earn their first series win since Aug. 7-9 against the Yankees. It ended a streak of 12 series losses.
Luis Robert Jr. exited the game with a sore left knee after swiping his 20th bag of the season. He's the first White Sox player in franchise history with 35 homers, 35 doubles, and 20 steals in a season.
Chicago placed Jesse Scholtens on the 15-day IL with a strained calf and activated Declan Cronin.
What's On Tap Next?
MLB moved Monday's originally scheduled game between the White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks to Thursday so the D-Backs could play the New York Yankees in a makeup game. The White Sox are offering $1 tickets and free parking for Thursday's game.
Jose Ureña will get the ball for the Sox in Tuesday's series opener and Zach Davies will start for Arizona. First pitch is at 6:40 PM CT and the game will air on NBC Sports Chicago.
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