Jacob Gonzalez’s – Rookie first baseman Jacob Gonzalez delivered his first career home run as the White Sox beat the Phillies 6-3 in Philadelphia on Saturday, a win that came with a quick early burst, strong bullpen work, and lingering optimism for Luisangel Acuna after his long
PHILADELPHIA — The first punch landed almost immediately, and by the time the stands caught up to the scoreboard, the White Sox had already decided how the day was going to go.
Rookie first baseman Jacob Gonzalez. still chasing that first big-league home run. watched Phillies starter Andrew Painter start the game by plunking Sam Antonacci for the rookie’s MLB-leading 14th hit-by-pitch. Painter then walked Miguel Vargas and served an RBI single to Andrew Benintendi. turning a tense opening into a 3-0 hole before Philadelphia could settle.
Chase Meidroth and Gonzalez added to it with an RBI groundout each, and with the White Sox already in control, Tristan Peters lined a double down the right-field line on the 11th pitch of his at-bat to make it a four-spot.
Then came the damage that made the evening feel permanent. Colson Montgomery launched a 380-foot rainbow to right field for his 16th homer of the year in the third inning. Gonzalez followed with his first career blast. a 428-foot towering shot to the second deck at Citizens Bank Park. extending the lead beyond the point where the Phillies could realistically claw back.
Sean Burke managed to keep the damage from becoming unmanageable. but he still had a rough stretch: he surrendered solo homers to third baseman Alex Bohm and left fielder Brandon Marsh. and he allowed an RBI single to Adolis Garcia. After following opener Brandon Eisert. Burke went 4 ⅓ innings. giving up three runs on three hits and five walks. with seven strikeouts.
What changed the tone from competitive to controlled was what came after. Sox reliever Sean Newcomb shut down the Phillies with 2 ⅓ innings of one-hit ball and two strikeouts. Grant Taylor closed it out in the ninth, finishing the White Sox’s 6-3 win over the hottest team in baseball.
Friday’s spark still hung in the air. Luisangel Acuna’s 400-foot RBI double the night before. knocked off the left-field wall. was the longest ball he’s hit since coming to the Sox. He had come up just short of his first home run in two years. and it was also only his second extra-base hit during an introduction to fans that has been a slog after the Luis Robert Jr. trade.
Acuna was out of the starting lineup Saturday, and his numbers still don’t look kind: he entered hitting .191/.242/.209. Yet manager Will Venable saw something in the way he’s operating day to day. Venable said Acuna is “going about his business with more confidence. ” adding. “Really happy for him because he’s been working so hard and really goes about his business the right way. just hasn’t had the results until recently here.”.
The franchise context isn’t lost inside the dugout. The Sox have still gotten more playing time out of Acuna (46 games) than the Mets have from Robert, who hit .224/.327/.329 with two homers and three doubles in 24 games before going down with a back injury in late April.
Back in the pitching spotlight, Grant Taylor’s rise has kept turning into milestones. Before Saturday’s game. Taylor learned earlier in the week that he became the fastest pitcher in Sox history to reach 100 strikeouts. He did it against the Twins with 68 innings under his belt. outpacing Michael Kopech’s century mark for K’s in 72 innings.
Taylor, who described himself as having had no idea it was coming, said after being informed of the feat, “I had no idea.” He added, “That’s pretty cool. I’m just working on learning more about how to get big-league hitters out and getting better every day.”
The second-year right-hander has become a serious storyline this season, sparking All-Star talk with a 1.93 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 32 ⅔ innings across 25 games.
There was also a small, human moment for the organization’s staff. First-base coach Jose Leger was back on the line Saturday after missing Friday’s series opener to attend his son’s high school graduation in Florida. Field coordinator Chris Denorfia stepped in with base-running counsel in his stead.
Leger said after catching the red-eye to Philly, “I’m on my fifth cup of coffee.” The kind of detail you only notice when a team’s day has room for both baseball and family—then watches it all translate onto the field in the form of a win.
In Philadelphia, the White Sox left with a 6-3 victory, Gonzalez’s first career home run, and enough momentum to make the next pitch—whatever happens next—feel less like uncertainty and more like something they can shape.
White Sox Phillies Jacob Gonzalez first career home run Andrew Painter Sean Newcomb Grant Taylor Luisangel Acuna Will Venable Jose Leger
First career HR already?? Good for him I guess lol
Why is the headline acting like Painter is the bad guy? getting hit-by-pitch is part of baseball, doesn’t mean he’s trash. Sounds like Sox just got hot early and bullpen did its job.
I swear Phillies always start rough and then try to come back like it’s gonna work. The 3-0 hole and then that “428-foot” shot… ok yeah game over. Also, Luisangel Acuna “lingering optimism”?? I thought he was already a star, or am I mixing him up with someone else?
Plunking Antonacci for the 14th time or whatever just seems like the Phillies can’t control anything. Then Sox hit a bunch of homers and everyone claps. But Burke gave up 5 walks?? That’s wild, like how do they call that “strong bullpen” if he was walking guys left and right.