White Sox top Guardians 5-3 to increase AL Central lead
Trending
CHICAGO (AP) -- Colson Montgomery’s 26th homer, a three-run shot, capped Chicago’s four-run third inning and the White Sox held on to beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Sunday.
Munetaka Murakami and Randal Grichuk each doubled in a run as the White Sox won their second straight, increasing their AL Central lead to 3 1/2 games over second-place Detroit. Cleveland and Minnesota fell four games back.
Brenton Doyle had two hits to help Chicago win its 61st game, one more than in 2025 when the team finished last in the American League at 60-102.
Steven Kwan had two hits for the Guardians (58-61), who lost for the fifth time in six games. Kwan and Murakami extended their on-base streaks to 25 games, tied for the longest active run in the majors.
The game was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 23 minutes, after the first inning with the Guardians ahead 2-1. Both managers replaced their starters -- Chicago’s Davis Martin and Cleveland’s Joey Cantillo -- when play resumed.
White Sox left-hander Hagen Smith took over in the second, making his major league debut. Smith (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings for the win, but walked the bases loaded in the third before Brayan Rocchio lined out to third to end the threat.
Trevor Richards, the sixth Chicago reliever, allowed a run in the ninth on two walks and José Ramirez’s sacrifice fly, but earned his third career save and first this season.
Cleveland lefty Tim Herrin entered in the bottom of the second, followed by Craig Yoho with two outs in the third. Yoho (2-1) allowed four runs on two hits and four walks while getting only one out.
After Grichuk’s double down the left-field line tied it at 2, Montgomery lined a cutter to right to put Chicago ahead 5-2.
UP NEXT
Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee (4-11, 3.85 ERA) faces Tigers RHP Drew Anderson (4-4, 4.01) on Tuesday in Detroit.
White Sox: RHP Sean Burke (7-6, 3.08 ERA) starts against Cincinnati LHP Nick Lodolo (3-2, 4.60) on Tuesday in Chicago.
SATURDAY
WHITE SOX TOP GUARDIANS
CHICAGO (AP) -- Munetaka Murakami homered and Tristan Peters and Chase Meidroth each drove in a pair of runs in Chicago’s five-run sixth inning as the White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 Saturday, snapping a season-worst four-game skid.
Braden Montgomery singled in a run in the eighth as Chicago (60-56) increased its first-place lead in the AL Central to three games over Cleveland and Minnesota.
Rhys Hoskins had two hits, including a two-run homer. Angel Genao went deep in the seventh and added a single for Cleveland, which has lost four of five.
Anthony Kay (9-5) allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked one in a second straight solid start. Four relievers followed, and Grant Taylor worked around a single in the the ninth for his sixth save.
Gavin Williams allowed two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walked two.
The starters were locked in a scoreless duel through five innings.
Hoskins lined Kay’s low sweeper into the left field stands to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 with one out in the sixth.
Murakami’s lofted his team-leading 26th homer off the left-field foul pole off Williams with one out in the sixth, cutting it to 2-1. Miguel Vargas followed with a single.
Colin Holderman (6-3) relieved and gave up three runs on two hits and two hit batters without recording an out in the sixth to take the loss.
Holderman plunked the first two batters he faced to load the bases, then surrendered a two-run double to Peters and a single to Meidroth.
The White Sox managed just one hit, a single by Andrew Benintendi, and three baserunners off Williams through the first five innings.
The White Sox retired former All-Star shortstop and World Series winning manager Ozzie Guilléns’ No. 13 before the game.