Randal Grichuk stays hot, but White Sox bullpen can’t hold a lead in loss to Phillies

The White Sox and Phillies turned Sunday’s matinee at Citizens Bank Park into a back-and-forth battle, with six lead changes before it was over. Chicago had the look of an advantage early, trailing 4-3 through three innings and then taking a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth. Philadelphia responded with a middle-inning swing that ultimately decided the series rubber match, winning 9-5 as the White Sox were unable to turn their opportunities into late-inning separation.

Randal Grichuk again provided the spark for Chicago’s offense. In the top of the fifth, pinch-hitting with runners on second and third and Tim Mayza on the mound, Grichuk lined a single to right-center to score Andrew Benintendi and Colson Montgomery and put the White Sox back in front. Since joining the team in early May, Grichuk has hit at a strong clip, producing a.315/.339/.685 line with six home runs and 17 RBIs in 25 games. White Sox manager Will Venable praised him as a “total pro,” emphasizing how Grichuk reads pitch shapes and how dangerous he has been against left-handed pitching.

That lead lasted only briefly. In the bottom of the fifth, reliever Tyler Davis entered and quickly lost control of the inning, as the first four hitters he faced reached base via a hit or walk. Alec Bohm tied the game at five with a double to right field that scored Bryce Harper, and Bryson Stott’s single up the middle added another run to give Philadelphia a 6-5 advantage. Brandon Marsh drove in a run in the same frame, and the inning ended with a Justin Crawford grounder that turned into a double play but not before the Phillies had built momentum. Davis, after taking the tough stretch, acknowledged it as an opportunity to learn and grow from.

Chicago did have another chance to rally in the top of the sixth, but the Phillies made it difficult to string rallies together. With one out and runners on first and second, the White Sox pushed at the edges. Edgar Quero appeared to deliver an RBI hit to left field, but the ball hooked foul, and the second attempt to the same part of the outfield produced another deep fly. Marsh made a leaping catch for the second out, and Montgomery struck out to end the threat. It was a reminder that, even in a game filled with lead swings, a single defensive play can reset the rhythm.

Philadelphia then widened the margin in the bottom of the sixth, using another scoring burst to convert late chances into a more durable cushion. Two more runs came off left-hander Bryan Hudson, with RBI singles by Marsh and Bohm adding to the lead. By that point, the early back-and-forth had become a problem of timing for Chicago, which could not find the “shutdown inning” it needed after taking its earlier advantage.

Even with the loss and the series defeat, the White Sox could point to one consistent takeaway: their offense has not disappeared. Venable credited the club for continuing to play hard and emphasized that on a day when they took the lead, tied the game, and then got that push of energy, they still ran out of gas late. He also said the next step is to limit walks and find ways to get “zeros.” The backdrop matters, too. With Munetaka Murakami on the injured list with a right hamstring injury, Chicago has still averaged 5.5 runs per game since May 30, a stretch that illustrates that the lineup can generate pressure.

For Philadelphia, the theme was staying ready for contact and keeping matchups shifting. Interim manager Don Mattingly described the series as a battle where the White Sox never felt comfortable with a lead because of Chicago’s at-bats and willingness to put the ball in play. After the game, he pointed to the back-and-forth nature of the day and how difficult it becomes to get settled when a team can work a variety of looks with righties and lefties. Next up for both teams is simple: Philadelphia will try to keep turning early advantages into middle-innings control, while the White Sox will have to build the same steadiness in the bullpen to avoid repeating the costly swings that defined the fifth and sixth innings.