The Chicago White Sox reclaimed first place in the American League Central with a 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday at Progressive Field. The win, secured in front of a crowd of 22,616, allowed Chicago to end the four-game series evenly and move one game ahead of Cleveland in the division standings.
Early in the game, the White Sox got contributions from Kyle Teel, Tristan Peters, and Colson Montgomery, who each hit home runs to build a 6-3 lead. The Guardians answered in the fifth inning with a three-run homer by Gabriel Arias, evening the score. Chicago regained the lead in the sixth inning when Sam Antonacci grounded out, allowing Braden Montgomery to score the go-ahead run. The Sox held on for the win to improve to 47-42, while the Guardians fell to 47-44.
The contest faced a significant interruption before it began, with a rain delay lasting one hour and 27 minutes, which included additional field maintenance. Despite difficult playing conditions, the White Sox remained resilient. Antonacci slipped twice while fielding in left, contributing to the early momentum for the Guardians, who scored three runs in the opening frame. However, Chicago responded quickly, tying the game with a solo home run by Peters in the second and taking the lead with a three-run third inning capped by Montgomery’s 23rd homer of the season.
Erick Fedde, who earned the win, allowed two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. The bullpen held strong in relief, with Trevor Richards pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Sean Newcomb closing out the game with 1 2/3 innings without surrendering a run. White Sox manager Will Venable acknowledged the challenges posed by the weather and field conditions but praised his team’s ability to find a way to win despite the obstacles.
The victory marked a rebound for Chicago after consecutive walk-off losses early in the series. The White Sox had claimed a late win on Saturday to avoid a series sweep. “Whether it’s the score, whether it’s the series — we bounce back strong,” said Teel, who hit a two-run home run in Sunday’s first inning. Venable noted the competitive nature of the recent encounters between the teams, stressing the resilience his players have demonstrated.
Meanwhile, the team announced that slugger Munetaka Murakami will begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Charlotte starting Tuesday. Murakami has been sidelined with a strained right hamstring since May 29 and was placed on the injured list the following day. Before his injury, he led the American League in runs scored and was tied for the lead in home runs and RBIs. Venable indicated there is a possibility the first baseman could return to the major league roster before the All-Star break.