BOSTON (AP) -- Cody Ross' five-year old son stood behind him as he sat at a podium during a postgame interview session, triggering him to recall when he first started to enjoy hitting in the clutch.
"I've always wanted to be up in those situations since I was like my son's age," Ross said of his three-run homer in the ninth that lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night. "It's a great feeling, especially when you're the hero."
Ross' dramatic shot came one night after he hit three-run homers in consecutive innings of a 10-1 win.
Before the game, he was jokingly asked if there'd be a repeat performance.
"I thought it was kind of a dumb question, but I guess it wasn't," he said, smiling, with his blond-haired son, Hudson, just off to his left.
Boston took three of four games in the series and is 5-2 since the All Star break.
It was the fifth loss in 13 games for AL Central-leading Chicago, which opens three-game series at second-place Detroit on Friday night.
Boston's Clay Buchholz had a solid start, allowing one run, six hits, striking out six and walking one in eight innings. But he was set to be the loser until Ross' blast.
"I was sitting on the couch watching," he said. "He's been in big situations and is a guy that thrives in those situations most of the year."
When Ross reached home plate, he was met by Nick Punto, who tore his jersey.
"He
While Buchholz had his own little celebration.
"I was running around the clubhouse," he said.
Matt Thornton got one out, but left with runners on first and second before Addison Reed faced Ross, who hit a 1-1 pitch into the Green Monster seats.
Carl Crawford opened the ninth with a single, but was erased on Dustin Pedroia's fielder's choice grounder. Adrian Gonzalez then singled to right before Reed came in. Just before the first pitch, Boston sent Punto in to pinch run, slowing Reed down a bit.
"You go back and forth and make decisions, figure them out," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of electing to open the inning with Thornton. "You got the two lefties coming up with Crawford and Gonzalez, so you know you know you still got Reeder out there if Ross and the rest of the righties come up."
Reed just felt he missed badly with the pitch.
Alfredo Aceves pitched one inning for the win.
Chicago rookie left-hander Jose Quintana continued the impressive start to his career, pitching eight shutout innings.
Buchholz had been given the second-most run support in the majors at 7.48 runs per nine innings -- only behind teammate Felix Doubront's 8.38 per -- but the Red Sox couldn't solve the rookie lefty. Boston was held to one hit until loading the bases with one out in the seventh.
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