Red Sox Top White Sox in Pitchers Duel

Jon Lester pitched eight sharp innings and David Ross hit a tiebreaking RBI double in Boston's two-run ninth, leading the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.

Lester (2-2) allowed one run and seven hits for his second straight win after opening the season with two losses. The left-hander struck out nine and walked none, winning an impressive pitcher's duel with White Sox ace Chris Sale.

Lester retired his first 16 batters before Tyler Flowers singled in the sixth. Xander Bogaerts homered with two out in the sixth for Boston's only hit off Sale.

The game was tied at 1 when Mike Napoli and pinch-hitter Mike Carp had consecutive one-out singles in the ninth for the Red Sox. Ross then had a double to right against Ronald Belisario (1-2), driving home Napoli.

Jonathan Herrera added an RBI single against Scott Downs as the Red Sox captured the last two of their three-game set in Chicago.

Koji Uehara picked up his third save in three tries with a scoreless ninth, getting pinch-hitter Jose Abreu to ground to third to end the game.

Sale struck out 10 and threw a career-high 127 pitches in seven innings. The left-hander was trying to become the first White Sox pitcher to start 4-0 since Jose Contreras in 2006.

Sale and Lester provided a big lift for the tired bullpens on each team. The Red Sox used seven pitchers in a 6-4, 14-inning win on Wednesday, while the White Sox used nine, including infielder Leury Garcia for one inning.

Sale got some help from center fielder Adam Eaton in the first inning. With two out, David Ortiz drove a 2-2 pitch to deep left-center field, but Eaton jumped and took a home run away by making a one-handed grab.

That was the closest either team came to scoring until Bogaerts connected for his first home run of the season, driving a 1-0 pitch deep to left.

The White Sox responded in the bottom half. Flowers got on for Chicago's first baserunner and Garcia followed with a ground-rule double to right. Eaton then reached on an infield single, tying it at 1.

Alexei Ramirez's two-out single in the ninth extended his season-opening hitting streak to 16 games, setting a Chicago record.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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