Co-deep: Ross mashes pair of 3-run HRs

Cody Ross belted a pair of three-run homers, had three hits and drove in six runs while Adrian Gonzalez homered and drove in four as the Red Sox routed the White Sox, 10-1, Wednesday night at Fenway Park. For Gonzalez, it was his fourth straight multi-hit game, raising his average to .296 while Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-4 and scored three times, as the Red Sox provided more than enough support for Felix Doubront. 

For the 10th straight game at Fenway Park, the visitors scored first as Paul Konerko singled home Alejandro De Aza with two outs to put the White Sox on the board, 1-0. The key for Doubront (10-4) in minimizing damage in the opening inning was a double play ball off the bat of Adam Dunn after opening singles by De Aza and Kevin Youkilis. Doubront allowed four hits and just the one run over six innings to earn his fourth win in his last five decisions.

But as has been the case often, the Red Sox responded immediately as Ellsbury doubled to left to open the first. After a strikeout by Carl Crawford and a fly out to left by Ross, Adrian Gonzalez came through with a single to right to score Ellsbury and tie the game, 1-1. 

As Doubront was settling in, the Red Sox bats exploded, led by Ellsbury, Ross and Gonzalez. After singles by Ellsbury and Crawford, Ross hit the first of his two no-doubt three-run homers in the third, ripping a 1-1 pitch from White Sox starter Pedro Hernandez down the left field line and just inside the left field pole for his 14th of the season, giving the Red Sox the lead for good, 4-1. 

Ross was at it again in the next inning, when Pedro Ciriaco and Ellsbury singled. Ciriaco stole third but was called back on a bizarre umpire interference play when catcher A.J. Pierzynski hit home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez' mask getting ready to throw. After Crawford popped out to short, Ross obliterated another Hernandez pitch to the last row of Monster seats in left for his third multi-homer game of the season, putting the Red Sox up, 7-1. Gonzalez followed with his eighth homer of the season, a line drive to the first row of seats in left to put Boston comfortably ahead, 8-1. 

The Red Sox pounded Hernandez for 12 hits, three homers and eight runs - all earned - in just four innings. Hernandez, a lefty, was making his big league debut, filling in for Gavin Floyd, who was placed on the disabled list on Monday. The Red Sox added more off reliever Hector Santiago in the sixth when he plunked Crawford with a pitch. Ross stepped up and narrowly missed his third homer in as many at-bats when he hit a towering double off the wall in left. Gonzalez followed with a two-run single to right-center, capping a nine-pitch at-bat.

The game was delayed 14 minutes at the start due to a series of violent thunderstorms that rolled through Boston and dumped more than two inches of rain on Fenway in a two-hour period. The Red Sox will send Clay Buchholz to the mound on Thursday as they look to take 3-of-4 in the series. The Red Sox, who are also expecting the return of Dustin Pedroia on Thursday, improved to 47-45 and clinched the season series with Chicago, leading the White Sox, 4-2, with the final game between the two on Thursday. 

For more, visit the Red Sox team page at weei.com/redsox and the Full Count blog.