White Sox take first series since Aug. 7-9 with rain-shortened win

BOSTON -- It took a little over six weeks, and two days full of nasty weather conditions in Boston to break the White Sox extended streak without a series victory.

They accomplished this feat by virtue of a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox in a game shortened to six innings by rain at Fenway Park on Sunday. It was a second straight victory for the White Sox (60-96), who need to finish 3-3 over their final six-game homestand to avoid the franchise’s fifth season with 100 losses and first since 2018.

There was more than cold temperatures and strong winds behind the White Sox first series win since Aug. 7-9 (at home against the Yankees), ending an 0-10-2 drought, with the two splits against the Cubs (two games at Wrigley Field) and the A’s (four at home). Starters Touki Toussaint, Dylan Cease and Mike Clevinger in Sunday’s road finale showed the way from the mound, putting the White Sox rotation’s ERA at 1.75 with six quality starts over its past eight games.

“Our pitching carried us,” said White Sox right fielder Gavin Sheets, who drove in a run, scored a run and picked up his first career stolen base. “Threw the ball extremely well. You throw like that and get some timely hitting, that’s the key to wins.”

Said White Sox manager Pedro Grifol: “We’ve done a good job of pitching. Pitching is the name of the game, guys. We know that. Pitching, defense, put balls in play and get big hits when you need them. If you can catch the baseball and pitch, you’re going to have some success in this league.”

Clevinger (9-8) worked his second straight complete game, making him the first White Sox starter to go back-to-back since Lucas Giolito in May 2019. He didn’t record a strikeout, but he also didn’t issue a walk, meaning Clevinger has gone five straight starts in September and 139 consecutive hitters faced (since the fourth inning Aug. 27) without a free pass.

Sunday’s performance was slightly different for the veteran right-hander, who broke out 14 sinkers and tabled the four-seamer at 26 pitches, according to Statcast. He has used the sinker just 2.1 percent of the time this season, per Statcast.

“Today was really just me and [catcher] Korey [Lee] grinding away,” Clevinger said. “I didn’t have my good stuff. It was hard to get the grip on the ball. We are going to pitch what we got. We had to get away from the four-seam.

“I don’t think I’ve ever used that many two-seams in my entire career. I wasn’t putting the four-seam where I wanted. The two-seam was jumping pretty good so I started throwing it.”

Luis Robert Jr. was replaced by Trayce Thompson in center field in the second inning with left knee soreness suffered after he swiped second in the first. Robert Jr. will be re-evaluated in Chicago during Monday’s off-day.

Robert Jr.’s stolen-base total hit 20, meaning he’s the first player in franchise history to have at least 35 home runs, 35 doubles and 20 stolen bases in one season. Robert Jr. joins Magglio Ordonez from 2001 as the only two to go 30/30/20.

And Robert Jr. reached that goal in his career-high 145th game played this season, having done so in less-than-stellar weather conditions.

“You had to grind through it,” Sheets said. “It was wet, a little cold, windy. It was nasty. But you have to grind through it.”

“Not fun. Not very conducive to baseball,” Clevinger said. “We got through it.”

Three games against the D-backs and three games against the Padres at Guaranteed Rate Field finish off this forgettable year. Regardless of the results, Grifol wants his charges to play hard and compete right until the very last out of the season.

“Don’t take this opportunity for granted,” Grifol said. “You’re in a Major League uniform, playing in a Major League stadium. People who pay to come see you play and we owe the fans and everybody a strong effort to the very last out.”

“Finish on a high note,” Sheets said. “Try to get momentum going into Spring Training. Obviously it hasn’t been the way we wanted it to go. All you can do is play hard and finish the game strong and get some positive momentum.”