White Sox set the tempo early, get Gonzalez’s first homer in 6-3 win over Phillies

The Chicago White Sox jumped in front early and stayed there for a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday evening at Citizens Bank Park. The game turned in the first inning, when Philadelphia right-hander Andrew Painter had trouble finding his footing and Chicago capitalized with four runs. One night after waiting for a breakthrough, rookie first baseman Jacob Gonzalez provided it in the third inning with his first major-league home run as the White Sox completed the win.

Painter’s outing got derailed almost immediately. He needed 42 pitches to get through the first inning, and the Phillies did not record an out until the fifth batter of the frame. The White Sox’s start was built on patience and damage on contact, beginning with Sam Antonacci drawing a hit-by-pitch for what MLB listed as his 14th time this season, an MLB-high. Chicago then strung together ground-ball production to cash in, with Miguel Vargas scoring on a play that began with Chase Meidroth’s grounder, while Andrew Benintendi crossed the plate on another hit-by-contact sequence involving Gonzalez.

Two innings later, the White Sox widened the gap in a way that made a comeback more difficult for Philadelphia. Colson Montgomery and Gonzalez each delivered solo home runs to stretch the lead to 6-0. For Gonzalez, it was his first MLB homer, arriving in the third inning against Painter. Gonzalez’s calm demeanor afterward reflected a player trying to fit into a new routine, and MLB reported that he was told to expect a “silent treatment” reaction from the dugout after the homer.

While Chicago’s offense provided the margin, the bullpen did the job once Philadelphia found its footing later. Brandon Eisert, a left-hander, opened for the White Sox, and Sean Burke followed by working through the heart of the middle innings. Burke allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings, and then Chicago leaned on additional arms to keep the Phillies from getting closer than they did. Left-hander Sean Newcomb added two more scoreless innings, and Grant Taylor struck out the side in the ninth to close it out.

Philadelphia did create late pressure in the sixth inning, the moment the White Sox lead became a little more fragile. MLB’s game recap described that after retiring the first two hitters of the frame, Burke allowed a home run by Brandon Marsh and then walked J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott. The rally ended with a key single by Adolis Garcia that made it 6-3, but the Phillies could not reduce the deficit further. Newcomb then got Edmundo Sosa out to end the inning and preserve the advantage.

For the White Sox, the night offered more than one milestone. Manager Will Venable emphasized how quickly the first inning established the tone, noting that there were only two hits in the frame but four runs scored from the at-bat value the White Sox generated. Andrew Benintendi scored in the early rally, and Tristan Peters added a double that helped create the fourth run. Against a team that has spent much of the season relying on its starting pitching, Chicago turned a limited number of opportunities into a blowout-style cushion.

With Saturday’s win, the White Sox moved the series back into balance, with Philadelphia and Chicago tied entering the finale, according to reporting from Chicago. The next question is whether either team can repeat its best version of Saturday’s game. MLB’s probable pitchers listed the Sunday series finale at 1:35 PM ET with Tyler Gilbert for Chicago and Aaron Nola for Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.