Gavin Floyd was perfect for 5 2/3 innings and Mark Kotsay added another home run against his former club as the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 in front of 33,239 at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Red Sox fall to 78-57 and fall 8.5 games out first place in the AL East behind the New Yankees. They maintain their two game lead over the Texas Rangers and six game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild card standings as both teams lost on Saturday.
Creaky back and all, Tim Wakefield made the start for the Red Sox and pitched okay. He fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and with Floyd dealing all afternoon, it was just too much. Wake allowed four runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Ramon Ramirez had a perfect inning of work, including a strikeout, out of the Red Sox bullpen while Hideki Okajima allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning.
Floyd obviously had all of pitches working for him as the Red Sox hitters couldn’t do anything against him. The only run he allowed in eight innings came on Jason Bay’s home run in the 8th. He only allowed three hits while striking out eleven batters.
White Sox closer Bobby Jenks walked one and struck out one in a non-save situation.
Nick Green had the first hit off of Floyd while Victor Martinez had a double. David Ortiz had three strikeouts on the afternoon J.D. Drew and Bay both had two.
It’s a battle of southpaws tomorrow as Jon Lester and John Danks will square off at 2:05 p.m.
