On June 13 at Rate Field, the White Sox turned an early deficit into an 8-2 victory over the Dodgers with a seven-run fifth inning, extending their home winning streak to eight and strengthening their lead in the American League Central.
CHICAGO — The kind of roar that usually belongs to October arrived early on the South Side.
On Friday, June 13, 37,882 fans packed Rate Field for a White Sox 8-2 win over the Dodgers, a two-time defending World Series champion. The atmosphere didn’t just feel playoff-like. It behaved like one—especially after the White Sox scored seven runs in the fifth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit.
The result stretched their home winning streak to eight. It also pushed the White Sox to 19-3 over their last 22 at Rate Field. Overall, they improved to 37-31, reaching a season-best six games over .500 while maintaining a one-half game lead over the Guardians in the American League Central.
The game had that October feel even before the first pitch, thrown by Anthony Kay. The crowd added fuel, with Rate Field reaching its fourth sellout of the season.
Kay had to work through trouble early. He escaped a two-run second inning, limiting the damage to keep the offense in range. He finished with five innings, allowing just those two runs while striking out seven, walking one, and winning his fifth straight start at home.
From there, it turned into a full-team shut-down in the way only a complete-game effort can. After Kay, Bryan Hudson, Trevor Richards, and Chris Murphy combined to retire the last 19 Dodgers hitters.
But the real shift—when the stadium’s electricity snapped into something heavier—came from the White Sox bats in the fifth inning against Roki Sasaki (3-4) and Blake Treinen.
Four straight White Sox hitters reached to begin the frame. Miguel Vargas, who finished with three hits, doubled home the go-ahead run as the rally took control. Vargas’ history made the moment sharper. He began his career with the Dodgers and endured immense struggles at the plate after coming to the White Sox during a three-team trade at the 2024 Trade Deadline.
Now, the tarps off section at Rate Field chanted “M-V-P” as he stepped to the plate. Vargas also received a championship ring from the Dodgers for their ‘24 run. Still, on Friday, his focus wasn’t on ceremony.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Vargas said. “I want to beat not just the Dodgers. I want to beat everyone. Definitely it’s an important series for us. Definitely competing against old teammates is always fun.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Vargas, “He’s thriving. And with young players it takes time. Miggy’s a baseball player, always had the ability to hit, the defense has gotten a lot better, he’s in good shape. I’m very happy for Vargy.”
Vargas’ run-scoring double was only part of the damage. Rookie Braden Montgomery walked to force home a run. Chase Meidroth singled home two. Then Tristan Peters finished an eight-pitch at-bat against Treinen with a two-run triple to right.
Peters’ at-bat drew a standing ovation from the crowd, as did Montgomery’s plate appearance when the count reached 3-0.
Meidroth also had three hits total, and his momentum kept climbing. He increased his hit streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 22. He didn’t just play—he asked something of the crowd, too.
“Keep coming because it’s awesome,” Meidroth said. “We love it. We love our fans and this is amazing.”
Chase Meidroth wasn’t alone in hearing the difference the fans were making. When asked about the crowd, he said, “I can’t say enough about the fans. These fans are unbelievable. They make this fun.”
Kay described the noise after the seventh-inning burst of energy, saying, “Our fans have been absolutely incredible. I didn’t realize how loud it was until I was out of the game and we had that seven-run inning. It was incredible to be a part of it in the dugout and watch the boys get that inning going. Just watched the fans go crazy.”.
White Sox manager Will Venable tied the performance to the setting.
“Yeah, it was special. It was electric, starting with the fans,” Venable said. “Obviously, a very good environment to play in. They showed up and our guys responded. I thought we played with a lot of energy and obviously the contributions from everybody were special. It was just a great atmosphere.”
The win arrived with weight beyond a single night. In the last six games against the Phillies on the road and at home against the Braves and Dodgers, the White Sox went 4-2, including three consecutive wins at home.
They still have two more games against the Dodgers before going to Yankee Stadium, capping a stretch of 12 straight games against playoff-caliber teams.
For all the talk around opponents, the White Sox kept the focus inside the clubhouse. Meidroth put it plainly.
“It doesn’t matter what they believe. We stay with us. We believe it,” Meidroth said. “That’s all that matters and we’re going to continue to put the work in. We’ve got a ways to go. We’ve got to get a lot better at a few things. We’re excited. We know where we’re at, but we’re not satisfied right now.”.
Kay echoed that mindset.
“We know who we are as a team,” Kay said. “We are going to keep showing everyone if they don’t believe.”
White Sox Dodgers Rate Field Anthony Kay Miguel Vargas Chase Meidroth Roki Sasaki Blake Treinen Braden Montgomery Tristan Peters Will Venable