Braden Montgomery, making his MLB debut, delivers a 10th-inning walk-off homer for the White Sox

The Chicago White Sox got the kind of debut they rarely see and almost never forget on Tuesday night at Atlanta’s Rate Field. Braden Montgomery, a rookie for Chicago, hit a two-run walk-off home run in the 10th inning to erase a late Braves lead and send the White Sox home with a 6-5 victory over the NL East contenders.

Montgomery entered the game as a switch-hitter with his major league career still just hours old, and his first plate appearances offered the usual mix of nerves and adjustment. But with two outs in the 10th, he faced Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, and the at-bat swung on a quick, familiar pattern. According to, Montgomery connected on a second straight changeup and drove the ball out over the left-field wall for the game-winner. also placed the feat in historical context, noting Montgomery became the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homer in his major league debut, joining Carlos Perez (2015), Miguel Cabrera (2003), Josh Bard (2002) and Billy Parker (1971), as Elias research reported.

The timing mattered because the game had already tightened around Chicago’s late chances. The Braves had built to a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 10th, and the White Sox’s margin for error was thin. reported that Montgomery’s power had shown up earlier as well, as he recorded his first career hit in the fourth inning with a single to left that also produced an RBI, even before the walk-off moment arrived.

Montgomery’s promotion added another layer to the night. reported the White Sox announced his call-up Monday from Triple-A Charlotte, and that his 343-foot drive came with family and friends watching, according to the account. In the immediate aftermath, Montgomery described the experience as surreal, with quoting him as saying, “That was … I still don’t know what to say,” and adding, “That was unreal.” Reliever Grant Taylor, who earned the win in relief while allowing one unearned run over two innings, echoed the sentiment in the same report, calling it “probably the coolest debut of all-time.”

Chicago’s roster context also intersected with this home-run swing. The story highlighted catcher Kyle Teel, noting Teel came to the White Sox from Boston with Montgomery in the trade involving Garrett Crochet. Teel’s presence behind the plate connected the debut to a larger Chicago rebuilding timeline, where the organization has emphasized adding controllable talent even in seasons that do not resemble a playoff run on paper.

For Atlanta, the defeat was an abrupt reminder that late-inning leads can flip quickly, particularly when a debutant is given enough pitches to find his timing. The Braves entered the matchup with strong form across the early part of the season, and described their record at the time as 45-22. The White Sox entered Tuesday at 34-31, per Yahoo Sports. Both numbers underline why this outcome stands out: the game was close throughout, but the ending belonged entirely to a player in his first MLB night.