Vince Velasquez looks like every little thing is clicking.
The right-hander had his second straight robust begin for the Chicago White Sox, permitting one run in 5 innings in a 4-2 victory in opposition to the Boston Red Sox within the sequence opener Friday in entrance of 30,944 at Fenway Park.
Velasquez surrendered three hits, struck out two and walked two because the White Sox received their fourth straight.
“It’s a good feeling, knowing that you’re establishing good command with your secondary pitches,” Velasquez mentioned. “I knew I wasn’t going to get a variety of punchouts at the moment, however I utilized the protection as a lot as I probably can and compelled some contact and made huge pitches once I wanted to.
“It’s a good sign of heading in the right direction, knowing that things are kind of falling into its right place.”
Tim Anderson and Luis Robert led the best way offensively.
Anderson had three singles. He scored on a sacrifice fly by José Abreu throughout a three-run third.
“The shortstop had a Hall of Fame game,” Sox supervisor Tony La Russa mentioned of Anderson. “The base hits. Watching him — I instructed him too — you watch Tim Anderson run the bottom when he’s received to make a lower and switch, it’s pretty much as good as anyone I’ve ever seen in all my years.
“That jet motor he’s got, when he makes that turn, he kicks it into another gear. It’s as fast as anybody I’ve ever seen. (And) the defense.”
Robert equipped the opposite runs within the third with a two-run homer to left, his fourth of the season.
The White Sox added an insurance coverage run within the eighth. Adam Engel singled, stole second, moved to 3rd on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly to proper by catcher Reese McGuire.
The White Sox had 10 hits whereas Velasquez and 4 relievers restricted the Red Sox to 6.
“You have to give (Velasquez) extra credit,” La Russa mentioned. “He is aware of who he’s matched up in opposition to. (Red Sox starter) Nathan (Eovaldi) has been throwing the ball in addition to anybody in baseball.
“(Velasquez) moves his fastball around, he’s got an extra little zip. He can sink it in. He’s got breaking ball and a slider and a change. He can get through the lineup several times and give guys different looks. Reese does a good job of mixing it up.”
Velasquez (2-2) earned his first win of the season in his earlier begin in opposition to the Los Angeles Angels, permitting 4 hits and placing out six in 5⅔ innings in a 4-0 victory on April 30. It was his first win since June 29, 2021, for the Philadelphia Phillies in opposition to the Miami Marlins, snapping a career-high 12-start winless streak.
Friday’s win was his first on the highway since May 25, 2021, in Miami. He got here in 0-7 with a 13.50 ERA in his final seven highway begins.
“Utilizing the slider and curveball to get me back into the count, I think that was very useful,” Velasquez mentioned. “And also the trust that’s being established from Reese and I. Last two outings, we’ve been on the same page. That’s another confidence booster going into any game.”
He needed to work out of hassle within the fifth. The Red Sox scored as soon as and had runners on the corners with two outs. Velasquez received Trevor Story on a check-swing third strike to finish the inning, placing him in place to choose up the win.
“Story is going to make me work, man,” Velasquez mentioned. “I confronted him (when Story was) in Colorado and he was a kind of guys that did some injury on me. It got here right down to execution. Kind of serving to myself get again into the rely and I let him get himself out.
“Again, it’s a matter of having that boost of confidence and knowing that there is one pitch that can have that impact and I want to win that.”
Liam Hendriks walked one however struck out three in a scoreless ninth for his eighth save.
“The more you win, the more joy it brings,” Hendriks mentioned. “Then it just rolls. It turns into that cyclone rainstorm when it rains, it pours. Everybody assumes the next guy is going to pick him up. We are picking each other up every time.”
He has saved all 4 video games in the course of the successful streak. Wednesday’s save in opposition to the Cubs got here with a heavy coronary heart after the demise of his grandfather.
“Losing my dad’s dad, Opa … I was holding it together before (Wednesday’s) outing and then it was just the adrenaline,” Hendriks mentioned. “Everything type of flowed by means of me and it was extraordinarily arduous.
“We are glad he went peacefully and it wasn’t a struggle or anything like that. He’s upstairs looking down on us with a sherry in hand.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com