All year long the Red Sox have tried to protect Garrett Whitlock.
But with a chance to pick up a crucial series win on Sunday, manager Alex Cora asked Whitlock to do something he hasn’t ever done in the big leagues: pitch on back-to-back days.
Whitlock had thrown 21 pitches over two innings to get the win on Saturday, but gave up a walk-off home run to Leury Garcia in a 2-1 loss to the White Sox on Sunday.
“We felt like where they were bullpen-wise it was worth taking a chance with Garrett there to extend the game,” Cora said. “We knew they were short so just trying to get through more outs and get to the 10th. But it just didn’t happen.”
The Red Sox lost the series, 2-1, despite every game being decided by one run.
With a Blue Jays win earlier in the day, the Red Sox were tied with the Jays and a half-game up on the Yankees for the two American League Wild Card spots leading into the Yankees’ Sunday night game with the Mets.
“We’re playing good baseball,” said Cora, whose team has lost five of seven. “The last three games, they have felt like the playoffs. The at-bats, the intensity, the moves. Obviously we don’t win the series but we played well. We’ll be ready.”
The Red Sox played all series without J.D. Martinez, who is dealing with back spasms again. It’s been a common injury for him during his tenure in Boston, which is why the Sox have tried to limit his work in the outfield. But when Kyle Schwarber returned in mid-August, Martinez began playing regularly in the outfield.
Both Martinez and Xander Bogaerts were out of the lineup in the series finale on Sunday, as manager Alex Cora held Bogaerts out for a day of rest after the shortstop played Friday and Saturday in his return from the COVID-19 related injury list.
Without their best hitters, the Red Sox mustered just three singles and one double on Sunday.
White Sox ace Lance Lynn held them to two hits while striking out nine. Using his heavy dose of fastballs, Lynn carved up the Red Sox on just 70 pitches through five innings.
“But we’re playing good baseball and I think offensively we’ll be a lot better,” Cora said. “Lynn was really good for five innings. He was outstanding, to be honest with you. We just didn’t score enough runs. But we feel good going into Seattle.”
Nick Pivetta looked remarkably strong in his return from COVID-19. Pivetta was activated just in time for the game and struggled to get going early on, with his fastball sitting in the low-90s, but he quickly found his mid-90s gas and shut down a good White Sox lineup.
Pivetta took a shutout into the sixth, when he got ahead 0-2 on Cesar Hernandez, who shot a groundball toward the right side. But that’s when Kiké Hernandez threw the ball wide of Bobby Dalbec at first base, letting the runner reach safely.
It was Hernandez’s fifth error in just 44 games at second base this year, compared to four errors in 76 games in center. He was billed as one of the best second baseman in the league when he arrive in Boston on a two-year, $14-million contract, but has struggled with inconsistent playing time at the position.
The White Sox bunted the runner to second, then knocked him in on a line drive single by Luis Robert to knock Pivetta out of the game.
Pivetta said he tested positive but had no symptoms and felt fine during his stay on the COVID list. He stayed in shape by throwing a baseball at a fence at a local park, he said.
“I felt fine the entire time,” he said. “I just tried to get as much work as possible to keep myself in shape as best as I could.”
The Red Sox looked strong against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth, when Hernandez hit a line drive to center and Robert mistimed his jump as the ball sailed over his head for a double. Kimbrel then walked Hunter Renfroe and Rafael Devers to get to Alex Verdugo, who hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the tying run.
Tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the inning, Whitlock recorded two quick outs before getting ahead 0-2 on Garcia, but he left a fastball over the plate and Garcia got all of it as the White Sox walked it off.
The Red Sox will fly to Seattle for a three-game set with the Mariners, who are hot on their tail for the Wild Card spot. Seattle was just two games back of the Sox as of Sunday afternoon.
“I’m sure the fans are really enjoying it,” Pivetta said. “Our focus is going out day by day and focusing on winning baseball games, not focusing on what’s going on around us.”
