BOSTON -- On a night when it looked like the Red Sox would be burned by two players who once looked like their future stars, an unheralded trade pickup ended up being the hero.
Long after Yoan Moncada (traded to Chicago as part of the package for Chris Sale in 2016) and Jose Abreu (chose Chicago over Boston as a free agent in 2013) both homered to give the White Sox an early lead, infielder Marco Hernandez hit a walk-off infield single to give the Red Sox a 6-5 comeback win in the opener of a three-game series.
Hernandez hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop Tim Anderson, who fielded it and short-hopped Abreu with the throw at first base. Abreu couldn’t corral the throw, allowing Andrew Benintendi to score and Boston to win a game in which it had trailed 5-3 in the eighth and never led.
Moncada led off the scoring, hitting a two-run homer off Eduardo Rodriguez in the second before Jackie Bradley Jr. cut the lead in half with a solo blast a half-inning later. After Eduardo Nunez tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth, Abreu took Rodriguez deep to put the ChiSox back in front, 3-2.
Boston again answered with a run of its own, tying it 3-3 when Lucas Giolito issued a bases-loaded walk to Michael Chavis in the sixth. Rodriguez then unraveled in the seventh, allowing two walks (one intentional) and a Yonder Alonso RBI single before giving way to Marcus Walden. Yolmer Sanchez singled to put Chicago up 5-3.
Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer to make it 5-4 and Eduardo Nunez tied the game with an RBI single in the eighth. Four Red Sox relievers-- Walden, Colten Brewer, Josh Taylor and Brandon Workman-- held Chicago scoreless over 2 2/3 innings.
After Benintendi led off the ninth with a double, lefty Jace Fry quickly got two outs to put Chicago within an out of extra innings. He then intentionally walked Xander Bogaerts and Bradley Jr. (after Bogaerts stole) to face Hernandez with the bases loaded.
Bradley Jr. (1-for-2, 3 BB, HR) reached base four times and Nunez had two RBIs for Boston.
The win was Boston’s second walk-off victory in four days, as Christian Vazquez beat the Blue Jays with a walk-off homer in the 10th inning Friday night. The Red Sox improved to 43-37.
Cora makes pitching change with 3-2 count in 8th
Sox manager Alex Cora made a strange move in the eighth, pulling righty Colten Brewer in favor of lefty Josh Taylor with a 3-2 count on hitter Jon Jay. Taylor came in and threw a ball to give Jay a free pass but the walk was charged to Brewer.
Taylor then struck out Moncada to end the inning with two runners on.