BOSTON -- One week completely changed the Chicago White Sox's outlook.

"In a lot of ways, it seems like the team was left for dead a week ago, and now it's got some life and (is) playing good baseball," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said after his team won its seventh straight, all on the road, with a 9-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. "You don't know what's going to happen."

On July 22, the White Sox lost their fourth in a row, their sixth in the past seven. They were in last place in the American League Central, 14 1/2 games out, and the talk was of dealing right-hander Jeff Samardzija as part of being sellers at the trade deadline.

Now, they are 49-50, within a game of .500 for the first time since May 22. They are in third place in their division, 11 1/2 out, but more important, they are within 2 1/2 games of the second AL wild-card spot.

In other words, they might actually be adding help at the deadline.

"I say it a lot -- that's well above my pay grade -- we don't worry about that," said center fielder Adam Eaton, who led the game off with a home run and finished with three hits and another RBI. "We can't (worry). If you sit around wondering who's going to be around in a week or two or a day or so, it's going to drive you nuts.

"Our job is to keep everybody together, and that's when we play well. When we play well, we keep out friends here. That's what we try to do every day."

Shortstop Alexei Ramirez also homered to back a solid-enough start by left-hander Jose Quintana, who earlier this season was a victim of non-support but got plenty Wednesday.

"We're trying to reverse the curse of Quintana, for sure," Eaton said.

Quintana (6-9) worked 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball for his second consecutive win.

Said Ventura: "It wasn't his sharpest outing, but I think probably what he's used to is we're not scoring too many runs, so for him it's a welcome break. He got some runs early, and he's just grinded through and got to the point where he could turn it over to the bullpen."

Chicago reliever Zach Putnam and Daniel Webb combined to throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings to close out the win.

Collecting 17 hits, the White Sox knocked right-hander Rick Porcello (5-11, 5.81 ERA) from the game after two-plus innings. The White Sox have outscored their opposition 54-19 during the winning streak. They have 28 runs on 46 hits -- 25 for extra bases -- in the first three games of the four-game series at Fenway Park.

"We've been slapped in the face right from the get-go," Boston manager John Farrell said. "Three consecutive nights we find ourselves down multiple runs early in the ballgame. Bottom line is we've got to do a better job of pitching, and that's not focusing on the starters -- that's focusing on everyone."

Left fielder Melky Cabrera had two singles and a double for his seventh consecutive multi-hit game. He also drove in a run in all seven, the longest run by a major league player since 2006 and the longest in White Sox history. Cabrera is 8-for-16 in the series and is 19-for-37 during an eight-game hitting streak.

Chicago second baseman Carlos Sanchez also had three hits.

First baseman Mike Napoli doubled home the last-place Red Sox's first run and then hit his 12th homer of the year in the seventh.

Having scored 14 first-inning runs in the previous four games after being a terrible first-inning team all season, the White Sox scored twice in the first in this game and never trailed.

With the Red Sox down 6-0 in the third inning, Boston third base coach Brian Butterfield tried to score plodding third baseman Pablo Sandoval from first on a double. Sandoval was out at the plate -- and later left the game because of dehydration.

NOTES: Red Sox CF Mookie Betts was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list after flying over the bullpen fence trying to catch what turned out to be a Jose Abreu home run Tuesday night. The Red Sox recalled CF Jackie Bradley Jr. from Triple-A Pawtucket, and he went 0-for-3 in his return. Boston also officially added INF Josh Rutledge, acquired in the Shane Victorino deal, and designated INF Jemile Weeks for assignment. Rutledge entered the game in the sixth inning and struck out in his first major league at-bat of the season. ... The White Sox placed INF Emilio Bonifacio on the disabled list with a left oblique strain, and they recalled INF Leury Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte. ... The Red Sox capped their three-day Pedro Martinez Hall of Fame celebration by repeating much of what was done Tuesday in Spanish on Wednesday, which was Dominican Night. ... White Sox LHP Chris Sale closes the four-game series against RHP Steven Wright on Thursday. Wright warmed up in the second inning Wednesday but didn't enter the game.