​As a general rule, scoring only two runs across a three-game series isn’t a successful approach, and this latest series wasn’t the exception that proved otherwise. The White Sox slipped behind 2-0 in the fourth when starter Anthony Kay issued a leadoff walk, followed by Caleb Durbin walloping a 379-foot homer into the left-field stands. Those would prove the costliest mistakes in Kay’s 5 1/3 innings, even though his line was otherwise solid, a reflection of the team’s anemic offense in the final analysis.
Facing a middling lefty for the third straight game, Chicago’s bats once again misfired, this time against Patrick Sandoval in his first big-league appearance after more than two years sidelined by injury. It wasn’t a shutout this time, unlike the previous night. Instead, the once-formidable power lineup that ranks fourth in the majors in homers managed to scratch across a run by virtue of a minuscule, almost invisible ball. Luisangel Acuña led off the fifth with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on another wild pitch—though he was credited with a stolen base because he maybe started his head toward the bag when the pitch whizzed through. He ultimately scored when pinch-hitter Andrew Benintendi checked his swing and softly dribbled the ball toward third at a stunning 42 mph.
That would be the White Sox’ lone hit with a runner in scoring position, though to be fair there were only three other chances since they advanced a runner to second only four times. The rest of the offense consisted of six singles and one walk. One additional run would have been crucial, because the Chicago bullpen—Jordan Hicks, Grant Taylor and Tyler Davis—handled the rest of the game with a clean 3 2/3 innings, not allowing a hit and effectively stifling the “Wrong Sox.”
By contrast, the Red Sox had most of the hard contact, with Wilyer Abreu collecting three balls hit at 106 mph or harder. The Right Sox did threaten for extra bases, notably Miguel Vargas leading off the eighth, a rally quashed by Jarren Duran, and Braden Montgomery, whose ninth-inning bid was erased by center fielder Ceddane Rafaela.
With the sweep, the White Sox dip to 47-45, finding themselves in a near-tie with the Guardians, who beat the Twins earlier in the day. The final series before the All-Star break begins tomorrow night against Oakland, with Sean Burke taking on Aaron Civale.
White Sox MVP candidates included Chase Meidroth, who went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout; Andrew Benintendi, 1-for-2 with an RBI; Colson Montgomery, 2-for-4; Tristan Peters, 1-for-2; Braden Montgomery, 1-for-4; Luisangel Acuña, 1-for-2 with a run and a stolen base. On the mound, Anthony Kay logged 5 1/3 innings, yielding four hits and two runs with two walks and four strikeouts, two of which came on a hit by pitch; Grant Taylor and Tyler Davis each tossed an inning with no hits and no runs, Taylor issuing a base on balls while Davis did not.
Bottom line: two runs in a three-game set isn’t a blueprint for sustained success, and this series underscored that the offense remains inconsistent at best. The team will look to rebound in the final stretch before the break, hoping for more timely hitting and a more productive offensive approach to complement a respectable pitching effort. As the schedule shifts toward the next challengers, the White Sox will need to translate a few of those near-misses into a more persistent offensive rhythm.