CHICAGO — Kevin Youkilis hit a grand slam, Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered twice and the Boston Red Sox roughed up Philip Humber in a 10-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.
Youkilis, mired in an early-season slump, hit his second career slam into the right-field bullpen during a five-run third inning against Humber, who was making his first start since pitching a perfect game in a 4-0 victory at Seattle on Saturday.
There was no such suspense Thursday. Humber walked leadoff batter Mike Aviles in the first, snapping his streak of 29 straight batters retired.
One out later, the right-hander allowed a single to Dustin Pedroia, a dribbler up the third-base line that was the first hit off Humber since Nick Markakis’ one-out double for Baltimore in the fifth inning of the Orioles’ 10-4 victory at Chicago on April 16.
Meanwhile, Carl Crawford has a sprained ligament in his throwing elbow and the Sox left fielder will remain sidelined for a while.
The team released a statement Thursday night saying Crawford’s diagnosis was made by the Red Sox medical staff and confirmed by Dr. James Andrews. Crawford received a Platelet Rich Plasma injection and will be shut down from baseball activity “during the initial phase of his treatment.”
The club did not announce a timetable for Crawford’s return, but he is expected to miss at least another month or two — maybe more.
The Red Sox were already short-handed in the outfield because of an injury to All-Star center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who finished second in the voting for AL MVP last season. Ellsbury is expected to be out until June because of a right shoulder injury sustained against Tampa Bay on April 13.
Boston acquired outfielder Marlon Byrd from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday to help fill the void. Byrd hit just .070 (3 for 43) with Chicago, but collected his fifth hit in four games for the Red Sox on Thursday night against the White Sox.
Crawford was largely viewed as a disappointment last year when he hit .255 with 11 homers, 56 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in his first season with Boston after signing a $142 million, seven-year contract as a free agent. He is yet to play in the big leagues this season.
Over the previous eight seasons, the 30-year-old Crawford hit above .300 five times for Tampa Bay, leading the American League in stolen bases four times. In his last season before coming to Boston, he batted .307 with a career-high 19 homers, drove in 90 runs and stole 47 bases.
Crawford also was shut down during spring training after experiencing inflammation that stemmed from offseason surgery on his left wrist. He remained at the team’s training complex in Florida after the club broke camp and participated in extended spring training games.
When the soreness in his left elbow lingered, Crawford traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to be examined by Andrews, a noted specialist in elbow injuries.
Crawford was diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament.
Lars Anderson, normally a first baseman, started in left field for Boston against the White Sox on Thursday night. Anderson played 571 of his 578 minor league games and his first 25 big league games at first base.
RAYS 4, ANGELS 3: Brandon Allen hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning to lift the Tampa Bay Rays over the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Albert Pujols went 1 for 4, ending his hitless streak at 21 at-bats when the Angels’ slugger rolled a grounder up the middle to beat a three-man defensive shift. He was thrown out attempting to stretch the single into a double.
Pujols’ hitless streak was the longest of his career, surpassing a 0-for-18 stretch from Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2010.
Pujols, with 445 homers, has not gone deep in 19 games this season, a span of 76 at-bats. Dating to Sept. 22, Pujols has not hit a home run in 105 at-bats, tying his longest regular-season drought from April 23-May 23, 2011.
Allen, recently acquired off waivers from Oakland, homered off closer Jordan Walden (0-1) after B.J. Upton had a one-out single.
Brandon Gomes (1-0) worked a 1-2-3 ninth, helping the Rays win their fifth straight game.
MARINERS 5, TIGERS 4: Chone Figgins hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning that was misjudged by right fielder Brennan Boesch, and Seattle completed a three-game sweep of Detroit in Detroit.
Figgins’ drive to right-center scored Brendan Ryan, who reached on a two-out walk from Pick Porcello (1-2). Former Tiger Charlie Furbush (1-1) got the win with a perfect inning of work.
Justin Smoak hit a three-run homer and Miguel Olivo also connected for the Mariners, who took a 4-0 lead in the fourth before the Tigers tied it. Figgins was 3 for 4 with a run.
Miguel Cabrera hit his sixth homer for Detroit, which fell to 10-9 after a 9-3 start.
Porcello gave up five runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings.
ROYALS 4, INDIANS 2: Luis Mendoza pitched into the sixth inning and Kansas City’s bullpen made a lead stand up in the win over Cleveland in Cleveland.
Jeff Francoeur had a go-ahead single in a three-run fifth for the Royals, who won consecutive games for only the second time this season.
Mendoza (1-2) was pulled with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth, but the Indians scored only one run on Travis Hafner’s sacrifice fly. Relievers Tim Collins, Aaron Crow and Jonathan Broxton held Cleveland in check the last four innings. Broxton got his second save.
Josh Tomlin (1-2) allowed four runs in 4 2-3 innings.