It only took the Red Sox two hours and 14 minutes to complete their 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox in the annual 11:10 a.m. Marathon Monday game, but for starter Walker Buehler, the win was several hours longer in the making.
Before the annual 11:10 a.m. contest, manager Alex Cora described Buehler as “on-point with his preparation,” but noted that it takes the veteran right-hander “a long time to get ready.” Thus, ensure he had enough time to be prepare for the 11:10 a.m. start and avoid the road closures, Buehler and his family spent the night in a hotel nearby. He set his alarm for 6:45 a.m., left the hotel at 7:15, and was already in prep mode by the time his manager got to work at 8:15 a.m.
The Sox starter’s extra-mile efforts paid off. Making his longest start since May 8, 2022, Buehler pitched seven innings and held the visiting Sox to one earned run on four hits, three walks, and nine strikeouts.
While Buehler reached new season-highs in innings and strikeouts, the outing was a continuation of the consistency he’s shown throughout throughout April. For the second time in his career, he has a three-game streak of pitching at least five innings with no more than two earned runs and four hits allowed (Sept. 28, 2021-April 8, 2022.)
The White Sox got a run on the board in the top of the first thanks to rookie catcher Edgar Quero’s RBI-groundout, but their lead didn’t last long. After the Red Sox wasted a prime opportunity in the bottom of the first – back-to-back one-out walks by Rafael Devers and Andrew Bregman – they took advantage in the following two frames.
Pregame, Alex Cora joked that Rob Refsnyder was a good fit for the morning game lineup because the father of two was used to walking up early. It proved true in the bottom of the second, when the veteran outfielder tied the game with his first home run of the season, a towering blast to the third row of Green Monster seats.
Boston scored their remaining three runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by shortstop Trevor Story and 2-run single by rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell. Campbell finished the day 2 for 3 with two RBI and a walk. Only 22 games into his big-league career, he already has eight multi-hit performances, two shy of the MLB lead.
Yet with the Red Sox going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight men on base, the game was still relatively close when Aroldis Chapman took the mound in the eighth to face some former Boston batters. He struck out pinch-hitter Bobby Dalbec on three pitches, but Andrew Benintendi hit a 1-0 pitch just fair inside the Pesky Pole before Chapman could end the inning.
Justin Slaten closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, picking up his third save of the season. He also extended his streak of batters retired to 21.
The Red Sox are 72-56 all-time on Marathon Monday, but hadn’t won the annual morning game since 2021. For newcomers like Buehler, Campbell, and Slaten, it was a special introduction to one of the region’s most treasured traditions.
“Obviously an important day for the city and one that we need to win and we’re supposed to win on this day, in this place,” Buehler said.
It was Slaten’s second Marathon Monday with the Red Sox, but he didn’t pitch in last year’s game, when Cleveland shut them out 6-0.
The Red Sox have won five of their last six games, and are 4-3 in series play this season. This includes a 7-4 record at Fenway, a positive development for a club that hasn’t posted a winning record at home since 2022.
Next up, the Seattle Mariners come to Fenway for a three-game set. Right-hander Brayan Bello will be activated from the injured list to make his season debut in the series opener on Tuesday.