Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CWS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
BOS	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	—	4	7	1

Sonny Gray took the ball looking to keep building on the best record of any starter in the league, and Sean Burke countered with the kind of season that's turned him into Chicago's one real bright spot on the mound. Neither offense did much against the other's starter, and this one turned into exactly the low-scoring, ace-driven grind both benches probably expected walking in.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

White Sox(59-53)

LWLWW

0

+1.5-156+135o8.5+111

Red Sox(61-51)

WWWWW

4

-1.5+150-138u8.5-111

Best BetRed Sox -126

Postgame

The moneyline call graded out clean — Gray did exactly what the case argued, shutting down a lineup that had nothing going against a healthy Boston roster. The bear case around Burke pulling an upset never materialized; he kept it competitive but the White Sox offense simply had no answer, and the 4-0 final matched the shape we expected even if the scoreline stayed tighter than a blowout.

Pregame

Boston's the play here on the moneyline — Gray's been unbeaten for months and this lineup just dropped 14 runs on Chicago in the series opener. The price isn't cheap, but a team playing at this level at home deserves to be the shorter number.

Gray needed to be sharp with Boston's lineup still missing Roman Anthony and getting nothing out of a banged-up Willson Contreras, and he delivered, working around a lineup that leaned on situational hits instead of the barrage that buried Chicago the day before. The White Sox, picked apart by injuries to their pitching pipeline all summer, got a solid look from Burke but had nothing behind him once the bullpen took over.

Sean Burke

(7-6)·3.15 ERA

Jul 30 vs Yankees

ND

6.0IP

0ER

10K

2BB

91P

08/05 Lineup

Sonny Gray

(15-3)·2.65 ERA

Jul 30 @ Athletics

W

7.0IP

4ER

5K

2BB

97P

08/05 Lineup

The number in this one was set with Fenway's recent scoring binge in mind, but the way both arms operated made it look tougher to clear by the middle innings than the line implied. It became a game decided by execution on the mound, not by whoever's lineup could out-slug the other.

Chicago White Sox

(59-53)

Aug 4L@ Red Sox2-14

Aug 2W@ Rays9-1

Aug 1L@ Rays0-1

Jul 31W@ Rays6-1

Jul 30Wvs Yankees2-1

Boston Red Sox

(61-51)

Aug 4Wvs White Sox14-2

Aug 2W@ Dodgers8-4

Aug 2W@ Dodgers3-2

Aug 1W@ Dodgers9-4

Jul 31W@ Athletics5-4

Boston's now won 5 straight and hasn't needed to grind for any of them, while Chicago's last 5 has been a mixed bag capped by getting run off the field a night earlier. That gap in momentum showed up again here — the White Sox just don't have the depth right now to answer a team playing this loose.

Chicago White Sox

(8)

• 10-Day-ILKyle Teel (C) — Teel is expected to miss 6-to-12 weeks due to left high-ankle sprain, MLB.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILJordan Leasure (RP) — Leasure (forearm) has resumed throwing bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.08/01
• 60-Day-ILDrew Thorpe (SP) — Thorpe (elbow) will make his next rehab start with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.07/31
• 60-Day-ILPrelander Berroa (RP) — The White Sox announced Saturday that Berroa (elbow) will start throwing again in 1-to-2 weeks, MLB.com reports.07/07
• 60-Day-ILKy Bush (SP) — Bush (elbow) has resumed participating in long toss, MLB.com reports.07/05
• 60-Day-ILMike Vasil (RP) — The White Sox transferred Vasil (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILTanner Murray (LF) — The White Sox transferred Murray (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILBrooks Baldwin (LF) — The White Sox transferred Baldwin (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08

Boston Red Sox

(12)

• Day-To-DayWillson Contreras (1B) — Contreras went 0-for-5 in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Dodgers.08/06
• 10-Day-ILAdley Rutschman (C) — The Red Sox acquired Rutschman (wrist), Jake Rogers and cash from the Orioles on Monday in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez, right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.08/03
• 10-Day-ILCurtis Mead (3B) — Mead has a nondisplaced left wrist fracture and will be reimaged in four weeks, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.07/31
• 10-Day-ILIsiah Kiner-Falefa (2B) — Kiner-Falefa (forearm) has been cleared to start his hitting progression with dry swings, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — Anthony (wrist) took overhand pitching in the batting cage Tuesday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.08/05
• 60-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said Tuesday that Crochet (lat/shoulder) has resumed throwing from 50-to-60 feet on flat ground, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.08/04
• 60-Day-ILZack Kelly (RP) — The Red Sox recalled Kelly (elbow) from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/21
• 60-Day-ILTrevor Story (SS) — Story (sports hernia) told reporters Monday that "sometime in August is in play" for him to embark on a rehab assignment, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) has started throwing two bullpen sessions per week, MLB.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will throw a bullpen session next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — The Red Sox announced June 29 that Crawford (forearm) has been throwing plyometric balls during workouts at the team's spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.07/06
• 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Saturday that Casas (abdomen/knee) has been shut down from hitting due to a wrist issue, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/06

Chicago's rotation is basically held together with tape — Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, and multiple relievers are all still on extended IL stints, which is exactly why Burke's emergence has mattered so much to that staff. Boston's banged up too, but the front office just added catching depth via the Rutschman trade and still has enough around the injuries to roll out a lineup that plays solid situational baseball even on an off night at the plate.

Boston plated single runs in four different innings and let Gray and the bullpen handle the rest, a formula that's carried this team all week. Chicago heads home still searching for length behind Burke, while the Red Sox keep rolling into the next series with a rotation and a record that both look built for the stretch run.