Red Sox snap 5-game skid, hand White Sox 110th loss, with 3-1 win

BOSTON (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela hit a tiebreaking two-run homer over the Green Monster in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox handed the Chicago White Sox their 110th loss of the season, 3-1 on Friday night.

Triston Casas drove in the other run with a fourth-inning single for the Red Sox, who ended a season-high five-game losing streak and have stumbled in the race for the AL's third and final wild-card spot by going 6-10 in their last 16 games.

“That was huge for the team, to help the team. That was pretty good,” said Rafaela, who hit a first-pitch slider after a 12-pitch walk before him. “I was just looking for the best pitch I can.”

Jacob Amaya had an RBI single for the White Sox who are 32-110, and are on pace to surpass the New York Mets' record of 120 losses in 1962, the most in a season post-1900. After beating Baltimore on Wednesday, they lost for the 13th time in 14 games.

Chicago also lost for the 43rd time this season after scoring first and fell to 5-39 since the All-Star break.

The White Sox (0-14) haven’t won a series since the break.

Rafaela hit his 15th off Matt Foster (0-1) into the second row of Monster seats where a fan stood up and made a nice barehanded catch after Enmanuel Valdez's walk.

Zack Kelly (6-2) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory. Josh Winckowski got the final three outs for his first save of the season.

White Sox starter Davis Martin and Boston’s Nick Pivetta each went six strong innings. Martin gave up a run on three hits, striking out three, walking one and hitting three batters. Pivetta allowed a run, five hits, with six strikeouts and three walks.

“We played good defense behind him and he gave us a chance to win,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Pivetta.

Martin gave up Casas' single after hitting consecutive batters on the back foot with breaking pitches.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to try to get down there. You call back-foot sliders, back-foot curves for a reason, sometimes they hit a back foot,” he said. “Today, was just one of those days. ... I'm not upset with the execution at all.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Luis Robert Jr. was back in the lineup after leaving the previous game with right hamstring tightness. … RHP Drew Thorpe underwent season-ending surgery to remove a bone spur in the right elbow. He’s expected to return in February for spring training without any restrictions.

Red Sox: CF Jarren Duran fouled off a pitched that bounced directly up and into the side of his face near his left ear, but he stayed in the game. … Cora said “there’s a good chance” that infielder Trevor Story could come off his rehab assignment and start at shortstop Saturday. His return would come after what was expected to be season-ending shoulder surgery on April 12. The recovery time was expected to be six months.

UP NEXT

LHP Garrett Crochet (6-10, 3.61 ERA) is slated to face Red Sox RHP Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.14) on Saturday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu celebrates with Enmanuel Valdez (47) after scoring on a single by Triston Casas during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela, right, celebrates with Romy Gonzalez (23) after defeating the Chicago White Sox in a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela runs on his two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago White Sox's Chuckie Robinson runs on his single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago White Sox's Jacob Amaya hits an RBI single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta tosses to first base on the ground out by Chicago White Sox's Nicky Lopez (8) during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin (65) throws to first base on a groundout by Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran, left, during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida is hit by a pitch during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela reacts as he rounds the bases on his two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela celebrates his two-run home run that also drove in Enmanuel Valdez, behind right, during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

LONDON (AP) — Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, once one of the most prominent media figures in Britain, was given a suspended prison sentence Monday for images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Edwards, 63, pleaded guilty in Westminster Magistrates’ Court in July to three counts of making indecent images of children, a charge related to photos sent to him on the WhatsApp messaging service by a man convicted of distributing images of child sex abuse.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sentenced Edwards to a six-month prison term suspended for two years.

“It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters,” Goldspring said.

Edwards' fall from grace over the past year has caused turmoil for the BBC after it was revealed the publicly funded broadcaster paid him about 200,000 pounds ($263,000) for five months of his salary after he had been arrested in November while on leave. The BBC has asked him to pay it back.

Edwards had been one of the BBC’s top earners when he was suspended in July 2023 over separate claims made last year involving a teenager he allegedly paid for sexually explicit photos. Police investigated and decided not to bring charges.

Although Edwards was not publicly named at the time those allegations surfaced, his wife later revealed he was the news presenter investigated and said he was hospitalized for serious mental health issues.

He never returned to the air but the BBC kept him on the payroll until he resigned in April for health reasons.

Edwards began his BBC career in Wales four decades ago. He went on to become lead anchor on the nighttime news for two decades and led the coverage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 as well as election coverage.

The BBC said it had been shocked to hear the details of the charges against Edwards at the time of his guilty plea.

More than 375 sexual images were sent to him on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021. More than 40 were indecent images of children, including seven classified as “category A” — the most indecent — with children estimated to be between 13 and 15. One child was aged between 7 and 9.

In chats with Alex Williams, a convicted pedophile, Edwards was asked if he wanted sexual images of a person whose “age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16,” and Edwards replied, “yes xxx,” prosecutor Ian Hope said.

“From that chat in December 2020, Alex Williams said that he had ‘a file of vids and pics for you of someone special,’” Hope said. “Mr. Edwards immediately queried who the subject was and was then sent three images of seemingly the same person, from two of which images the subject’s age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16.”

Williams later sent Edwards video in February 2021 that involved two children, one possibly as young as seven and another no older than 13, involving penetration, Hope said.

Edwards did not respond, but when later asked by Williams if the material was too young, he said, “don’t send underage.” He also said he didn’t want him to send anything illegal.

Defense lawyer Philip Evans said Edwards was “truly sorry” for the offenses and the damage he had done to his family.

“He apologizes sincerely and he makes it clear that he has the utmost regret and he recognizes that he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people,” Evans said.

Evans said Williams had reached out to Edwards on Instagram at a time when he was mentally vulnerable and began sending him images. He said Edwards never received gratification from the images and hadn’t saved them or sent them to anyone.

Hope said Edwards paid Williams “not insignificant sums of money,” as gifts that Williams used for support while studying at a university.

At one point, Williams asked for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos” he had sent. Edwards had said some of the images were “amazing,” Hope said.

Williams, 25, was given a suspended 1-year sentence in March for possessing and distributing indecent images as well as possessing prohibited images of children.

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A small number of protesters wait for Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter to arrive at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A small number of protesters wait for Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter to arrive at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)