Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford all returned to Fenway Monday night, but perhaps the most welcome return was a display of Adrian Gonzalez's power.
Outshining the ovations given to Youkilis, who belted out three hits in his first game in Boston since being dealt away three weeks ago, Gonzalez launched a three-run homer into the Monster Seats in the bottom of the eighth, snapping a 1-1 tie and sending the Red Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
It was Gonzalez's first homer of any sort since June 24 and just his second three-run homer of the season.
Gonzalez drove in four runs for the night, having singled home Crawford with a single to right back in the first. The four RBI represented a season high for the first baseman.
Mike Aviles drove in the other Red Sox run with a bloop single later in the eighth. All four of the runs in the eighth came off lefty reliever Leyson Septimo.
Aaron Cook got a no-decision, but pitched brilliantly, limiting the White Sox to a single run over seven innings. Sixteen of the 21 outs he recorded came on the ground and he didn't issue a walk.
Vicente Padilla got the win, while Alfredo Aceves earned the save as the Sox won for the third time in four tries in the second half.