CHICAGO -- The Red Sox extended their win streak to six games, while reaching .500 for the first time this season, beating the White Sox 1-0, Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field. It was the Sox' first 1-0 win since July 17, 2011 when they beat the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Starring for the Red Sox was starting pitcher Jon Lester, who out-dueled Jake Peavy to earn his first win of 2011. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Lester turned in his best outing of the season, allowing no runs over seven innings while throwing a season-high 122 pitches. The lefty allowed five hits and a walk and struck out seven. He managed to get out of his biggest threat in the seventh inning, inducing an inning-ending grounder off the bat of Gordon Beckham with runners on first and third on his final pitch of the game.
The only run of the game came in the fourth inning when Adrian Gonzalez singled in Ryan Sweeney. Gonzalez now has at least one RBI in six of his last seven games. The hit also snapped Peavy's scoreless streak at 17 innings.
Peavy finished his outing going nine innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out six and walking one. The righty, who may be hitting the free agent market after this season (the White Sox have a $22 million club option on the hurler), lowered his ERA to 1.72.
Vicente Padilla got the Red Sox out of a big jam in the eighth, when with runners on first and second and two outs he got Alex Rios to ground out to second base to end the inning. Franklin Morales also pitched in the eighth, allowing a hit while striking out one in 2/3 innings.
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