Youkilis homers in Boston as White Sox win 7-5

[July 18, 2012]  BOSTON (AP) -- Kevin Youkilis hit his first homer at Fenway Park as a visitor, driving a three-run shot over the Green Monster to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 7-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

It's been less than a month since Boston traded one of its most popular players to Chicago and the Fenway fans cheered "Yooouk!" loudly for the second straight night -- even as he rounded the bases to put Chicago up 6-2 with his homer off of Jon Lester (6-6) in the fourth inning.

The White Sox won for the eighth time in 11 games and are 10 games above .500 (50-40) for the fourth time this season.

Philip Humber (4-4) made his first start in a month and settled down after allowing two runs in a shaky first inning, when the Red Sox tagged him for three hits and two runs to tie it after Chicago went up 2-0 in the top of the first.

Humber had been on the disabled list as he recovered from a right elbow strain. Chicago activated him earlier Tuesday and he gave the White Sox six strong innings, scattering six hits, striking out three and not walking a batter before leaving the game after throwing 104 pitches.

Kelly Shoppach had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth for the Red Sox off Matt Thornton to pull Boston to 7-5, but closer Addison Reed came on in the ninth and picked up his 15th save.

Carl Crawford continued his strong start since joining the Red Sox on Monday after rehabilitating wrist and elbow injuries during the first half of the season. Crawford went 3 for 4, stole three bases and scored twice on Tuesday. In two games back, Crawford is 4 for 7 with four runs scored.

Lester had good velocity, but poor control from the start and threw 50 pitches in the first two innings. He threw 27 in the first when Youkilis walked and Adam Dun, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios followed with hits to put the White Sox up 2-0.

Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez hit RBI singles to tie it in the bottom of the first, but Chicago went up in the second with a run, then Youkilis blew it open in the fourth.

With two on and two outs, Youkilis hit a towering shot to left to put the White Sox up 6-2 in the fourth. Boston fans cheered "Yooouk!" as he trotted around the bases, showing the former Red Sox third baseman will always be beloved in Boston. It was Youkilis' fourth homer since being traded from to Chicago, tying his total with the Red Sox in 42 games this season.

It was Youkilis' fourth homer for the White Sox, tying his total with Boston this season before he was traded to Chicago on June 24.

Lester allowed six runs on seven hits over four innings.

NOTES: An MRI showed no tear in David Ortiz's right Achilles tendon, but the Boston slugger will have it looked at again and Boston will decide after the second opinion comes in whether to put Ortiz on the disabled list. Ortiz injured the tendon while rounding second on Gonzalez's home run in the eighth on Monday. ... Boston pitching coach Bob McClure said Franklin Morales will move back to the bullpen after making five starts for the short-handed Red Sox. ... Youkilis hit 65 homers at Fenway as a member of the Red Sox. ... The White Sox placed RHP Gavin Floyd on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow tendinitis, clearing the roster spot for Humber. ... Chicago didn't reach 50 wins until July 24 last season, when a victory over Detroit put the White Sox at 50-51.

[Associated Press]

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