White Sox fall in extras; split series with Red Sox

Jul 10, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie (12) hits a home run against the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Only this 2014 Chicago White Sox team can start a series with wins by the back end of the rotation, only to lose the two games where their top two pitchers made their starts.

The White Sox (44-49) were unable to use a ninth-inning two-run home run by Connor Gillaspie (his fourth of the season) to their favor in the win column as they lost in 10 innings to the Boston Red Sox, 4-3 Thursday, to wrap up the season series.

Boston (41-51) won the game with a single by Mike Carp to left field off Ronald Belisario in the 10th inning, scoring Daniel Nava.

This was another strange game by the White Sox because for one, Jose Quintana threw five perfect innings, then unraveled in the sixth, allowing three runs.

Jul 10, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton (1) scores a run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

One disagreement I had with the White Sox in the sixth was this: they had David Ortiz with a 3-1 count with runners on second and third with two outs. The score was tied at 1-1, and Ortiz is batting over .400 in that game situation.

Instead of just walking him to get to Mike Napoli, who was 0-2 with two strikeouts at the time, the White Sox decided to have Quintana pitch to Ortiz, and he hit the ball into the outfield, off the Green Monster, and the White Sox trailed by two runs.

I don’t understand what the thinking was there, but I believe they were wrong in that instance.

Quintana ended by pitching seven innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out seven with his ERA now standing at 3.24 on the season.

Belisario was charged with the loss. The win went to Andrew Miller, who is now 3-5 overall. He pitched one inning of relief in the 10th.

A plus on the offense was Adam Eaton with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, scoring one run. Alexei Ramirez was also 3-for-5 with one run. Jose Abreu was 2-for-4 with one RBI, his 71st of the season.

This was the second consecutive day where the White Sox let a win slip through their fingers in the late innings, but at least they split the series, and with the way this inconsistent season has gone, a split is a positive.