Full Breakdown
Red Sox Blank White Sox 5-0 Behind Jake Bennett’s Seven Shutout Innings
7/10/2026, 3:51:20 PM
Core Event
On Wednesday night in Chicago, the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox 5–0. Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett worked seven shutout innings, allowing four hits, striking out four and walking one. Boston’s offense supplied five singles—two by Tsung-Che Cheng, one by Ceddanne Rafaela, and one each from Carlos Narváez and an additional RBI from Cheng—to secure the win and extend the Red Sox’s streak to five straight victories.
Background & Context
The Red Sox entered the game having won 10 of their last 12 contests and 13 of their last 18 overall. Bennett, who had not faced the White Sox before, had recently posted career-best outings, including 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball against the Los Angeles Angels on July 5. The White Sox, meanwhile, were reeling from a series of shutouts against left-handed pitching; they had been shut out four times this season, the most recent prior to this game occurring on April 11. Their lineup had struggled to string together productive plate appearances against southpaws, a trend highlighted after Peyton Tolle’s six-inning shutout the night before.
Key Figures & Groups
- Jake Bennett (Boston) – Rookie left-hander, 4-3 record, 3.10 ERA entering the start.
- Tsung-Che Cheng (Boston) – First multi-RBI game, contributed two RBIs.
- Ceddanne Rafaela (Boston) – Delivered an RBI double.
- Willson Contreras (Chicago) – Left the game with a bruised left foot after fouling a ball off it.
- Anthony Seigler (Boston) – Departed after a collision with catcher Kyle Teel at the plate.
- Davis Martin (Chicago) – Veteran left-hander, 5-0 record with a 0.88 ERA in home starts before the outing.
- Randal Grichuk (Chicago) – Outfielder who commented on the quality of Boston’s pitching.
Data & Statistics
- Bennett: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 K, 1 BB.
- White Sox offense: 4 singles, 0 runs, 5 hits total.
- Martin: 5-0 record, 0.88 ERA in seven home starts; after the game, 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA.
- Red Sox recent form: 5-0 streak, 10-2 in last 12, 13-5 in last 18.
- White Sox shutouts: Fourth of the season, with the first three occurring within their opening 15 games.
Official Statements & Responses
Boston announced that both Contreras and Seigler would undergo evaluation for bruised foot and bruised trap injuries, respectively, but confirmed they remained on the active roster. Chicago’s post-game notes indicated Martin felt “good” despite “tired bumps and bruises,” and the team emphasized the need to “figure out how to take care of our bodies” as the season progresses.
Criticism & Opposition
Analyst Sam Miller, writing in his Pebble Hunting newsletter, lamented the scarcity of complete games and criticized managers for hesitating to let starters finish, noting that “Jake Bennett added another one to the pile.” White Sox outfielder Randal Grichuk added that Boston’s starter delivered “the best located pitched game by a starter against us all season,” underscoring the White Sox’s difficulty handling well-located left-handed pitching.
On-the-Ground Reports
Mid-inning, a collision at the plate between Anthony Seigler and catcher Kyle Teel forced Seigler from the game. Later, Contreras fouled a ball off his left foot, stayed in briefly, then exited with a bruised foot. The White Sox bullpen—Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran, Chris Murphy, Seranthony Domínguez, Bryan Hudson, and Trevor Richards—combined for scoreless innings but could not generate offense.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No source provided a definitive injury timeline for Contreras or Seigler, leaving the duration of their absences uncertain. Additionally, while the Red Sox’s box score confirms five runs, some commentary references “a couple balls hard” without quantifying hit quality, highlighting a lack of detailed batting analytics.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I just go out there with that mentality that I'm going to dominate,” — Jake Bennett, Pitcher
- “Both guys had great extension,” … “Tonight’s guy, hit his spots, threw the ball well, pitched in, pitched up, pitched down. I was saying in the 7th or 8th that was the best located pitched game by a starter against us all season.” — Randal Grichuk, Outfielder
- “It’s one of those things you gotta just get it out front a little bit,” — Randal Grichuk, Outfielder
- “Mechanically felt really really in sync in those first two innings, felt like they were really crisp, clean and then kind of goes downhill from there," Martin said.” — Davis Martin, Pitcher
- “I think I'm at 99%,” he said through an interpreter Sunday. — Davis Martin, Pitcher
What’s Next
Boston will debut left-hander Patrick Sandoval against White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay in the series finale on Thursday. Chicago plans to start Davis Martin in what is expected to be his final outing before the All-Star break.
