ATLANTA — The Chicago White Sox matched a season high with four home runs on Monday.
They needed each one to outlast the Atlanta Braves 13-9 in front of 27,868 at Truist Park.
The Sox built a 10-1 lead in the sixth, only for the Braves to bring the tying run to the plate in the eighth inning. Jordan Leasure struck out Eli White with the bases loaded to end the eighth with the Sox still ahead by four. Grant Taylor pitched a scoreless ninth as the Sox snapped a four-game losing streak.
“To hang on there was great,” manager Will Venable said. “Obviously, our offense did an outstanding job the entire night. I don’t think (Braves starter Spencer) Strider had his best stuff, but we made him pay for it. We were able to lay off breaking balls down and forced him in the zone. Great job by our offense and to continue to play and tack on there was obviously huge.”
Sox starter Yoendrys Gómez allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk in five-plus innings for the win.
For most of the night, it looked like the Sox were heading toward a blowout victory.
Brooks Baldwin hit a solo home run to left-center in the third inning.
Luis Robert Jr. lined a two-run home run over the left-field wall during a six-run fourth. Lenyn Sosa added to his team-high total with a three-run home run in the sixth, giving the Sox a 10-1 lead.
Chicago White Sox’s Brooks Baldwin rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Kyle Teel capped the power display with a solo home run to lead off the seventh.
The Sox regained some of the offensive form the team showed immediately after the All-Star break, reaching season highs in runs and hits (19).
“I thought it was a great job overall hitting,” said Teel, who had four hits. “We ran the bases hard, put pressure on the defense, we did all the right things when it came to taking care of what we needed to and the things we could control. It was really great to see.”
The four home runs matched a season high. It was the fourth time they’ve accomplished the feat this season.
The Sox scored at least 10 runs for the ninth time this year. It was their first time reaching double figures in runs since July 25, a 12-5 win against the Chicago Cubs at Rate Field. The Sox also hit four home runs in that game.
That output came during the team’s 10-4 start following the All-Star break. They were averaging 6.5 runs per game during that stretch. The Sox averaged 3.4 runs while going 2-11 in their next 13. That included scoring five runs total during the four-game losing streak.
They produced more than that in the fourth inning on Monday.
Already ahead 1-0 thanks to Baldwin’s home run in the third, the Sox began the fourth with a single by Andrew Benintendi — who had four hits. Robert followed with his 13th home run of the season.
Mike Tauchman drove in two with a double to right. That was Strider’s final batter. He allowed seven runs on 10 hits in three-plus innings.
Sosa gave the Sox a 10-1 lead with his three-run home run in the sixth against reliever Austin Cox. Sosa leads the Sox with 17 home runs.
Michael Harris II and Jurickson Profar hit two-run home runs in the sixth for the Braves. Teel responded with the solo home run as part of a two-run seventh. The Sox scored one more in the eighth to go ahead 13-5.
“Obviously, we needed every one of (the runs),” Venable said. “I just thought the competitive spirit of the group, to continue to go and push and just not stopping was just really, really nice to see.”
The Braves kept chipping away. A four-run eighth, which included a three-run home run by Profar against reliever Owen White, made it 13-9. Atlanta loaded the bases later in the inning, but Leasure got out of trouble by striking out Eli White.
“That team fought really hard against us,” Teel said. “Those guys can hit. I think all the pitchers and our whole team respects the guys we are going against.”
One runner reached in the ninth for the Braves before Taylor closed out the wild win.
“We’ve been right there the last couple of games,” shortstop Colson Montgomery said. “Been swinging it well. Just hasn’t been going our way. To have one of these against a really good starting pitcher too, and a really good team, it shows how we’ve been since the All-Star break.
“These are the fun games. Sometimes they are not pretty but we closed it out and that’s all that matters.”
Colson Montgomery exits with left side soreness
The Sox completed the game without Montgomery, who exited in the sixth inning with left side soreness.
“I just took a swing on a foul ball (during a sixth-inning at-bat) and I kind of felt a little bit of a stretch,” Montgomery said. “But nothing crazy or anything like that. Got on first and they saw I was feeling for it and they asked me if I felt something and I was like, ‘Yeah,’ but nothing too serious. More precautionary. We were up, the boys were rolling.
“I feel good about it right now.”
Originally Published: August 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM CDT