Randal Grichuk hit two solo homers, but the White Sox fell 8-6 in the series opener against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Anthony Kay was tagged for six runs in the fifth after early missteps, while Sam Antonacci’s effort in the field and tough two-way d
PHILADELPHIA — Randal Grichuk made sure the White Sox didn’t go quietly. He swatted two solo homers, and the lineup delivered enough noise to erase early damage.
Still, a night full of damage control for Anthony Kay and a Phillies offense that kept finding answers proved too much. The White Sox dropped the series opener, 8-6, in a slugfest against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The scoring started early and never stopped.
In the second inning. left fielder Sam Antonacci got the Sox on the board the way the rookie has often done since joining the team: he was hit by a pitch and then slid home after shortstop Luisangel Acuna’s double off the left-field wall. Tristan Peters followed with an RBI single off Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo, turning early pressure into a brief advantage.
Philadelphia answered with power in the bottom half. Kay was hit for a two-run homer by Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh to swing the game, then the Phillies plated two more on Alec Bohm’s liner that bounded just wide of Antonacci’s diving effort.
Antonacci’s day wasn’t only about the bat and bruises. Later, learning outfield on the job as a natural second baseman, he made an impressive jumping catch at the wall to rob Bryson Stott of extra bases.
“He’s gonna take that hit by pitch, as we know, and put in good at-bats,” manager Will Venable said. “He just runs hard, plays hard — typical Antonacci.”
Kay’s night unraveled in the fifth. After walking Bryce Harper to open the bottom of the inning, he was removed. The Sox starter was charged with six runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
“I wasn’t aggressive enough early in the counts, and it led to some deep counts, and that second inning, I got burned,” Kay said. After five straight solid outings, his ERA rose to 4.40.
Grichuk’s homers came in the third and fifth innings, but the Phillies kept pushing forward. In the sixth, Derek Hill tagged Luzardo again.
Colson Montgomery pulled the Sox closer in the seventh with a broken-bat single that scored Chase Meidroth, who had singled and advanced on an error and a deep flyout from Andrew Benintendi. The comeback didn’t fully catch.
The Phillies regained the lead for good on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly by second baseman Edmundo Sosa, caught by Antonacci, who nearly had Kyle Schwarber sliding home. Seranthony Dominguez nearly got out of the threat without more damage, but Trea Turner scored on his wild pitch.
“Getting down 5-2, 6-2, in this place with the pitchers that we faced today, is not an easy task,” Grichuk said. “So coming back, tying it up, ultimately obviously losing, but it’s positive vibes for the offense.”
The score leaves plenty to talk about: the Sox did not lack effort, and Grichuk and the lineup found their moments. But when Kay walked into deep counts and got burned in a key inning, Philadelphia had the kind of power that doesn’t let a deficit stay manageable for long.
The next game is already taking shape.
Eisert to open: The Sox announced left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert (1-0, 3.55 ERA) will open the game Saturday ahead of bulk thrower Sean Burke (2-3, 3.72), against the Phillies’ Andrew Painter (1-6, 5.74). Eisert threw a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts in Friday’s loss.
Homecoming for Seranthony: The weekend series includes a homecoming for Seranthony Dominguez, who played his first six big-league seasons with the Phillies, including their ill-fated run to the 2022 World Series against the Astros.
“A lot of good moments and memories are running through my mind,” Dominguez said. “It’s another day and another blessing to be in this building.”
He also said he feels similarities between the Sox’ clubhouse and the ones he was in that made deep postseason runs in Philadelphia and Toronto.
“The focus is always on today, and what can we do to have the win today,” he said.
Coming and going: Outfielder Everson Pereira started a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Charlotte on his way back from the pectoral strain that has sidelined him since April 29. Pereira had impressed between his two stints on the injured list this season, the other for a sprained ankle. He batted .250/.310/.453 with three homers. four doubles and a penchant for showing some emotion on the field during his first 18 games with the Sox.
Injured left fielder Austin Hays was back with the team in Philadelphia after his rehab stint was shut down when a calf injury barked back up on him. Venable said it would be beneficial for Hays “to be around the guys a little bit. get treatment here. and just hit the reset button a little bit.” Venable added. “Hopefully. just with a couple days of rest and some treatment. he’ll be back on the right track.”.
Reliever Tyler Gilbert rejoined the active roster after several days on the family medical emergency list, relegating lefty Chris Murphy back to Charlotte.
The early season matchup against a postseason-tested Phillies lineup made one thing clear: every run matters when the game turns into a slugfest. The Sox found ways to climb back, but Philadelphia’s timing—and the inning where Kay lost command—was the difference in the opening game of the series.
White Sox Phillies Randal Grichuk Anthony Kay Sam Antonacci Jesus Luzardo Brandon Marsh Derek Hill Citizens Bank Park MLB