The “tarps off” section tucked away in the left-field upper deck at Rate Field broke out a chant as the Chicago White Sox took their final at-bats Friday night.
“We want Shohei,” the several dozen shirtless fans yelled.
That, of course, is Los Angeles Dodgers megastar Shohei Ohtani, arguably the game’s best player and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. That’s the confidence that’s bubbling around the first-place White Sox, who continued their upward ascent this season by beating the Dodgers 8-2 in the series opener.
Photos: Chicago White Sox 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 2 at Rate Field
And while Ohtani did not play because of a left knee injury, the Dodgers are, after all, back-to-back World Series champions, the model franchise in the game and the team with the biggest targets on their back.
“We know how important this series is for the whole team in general,” White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas said. “We want to play this type of team; they are really good, and see how we are. We did a really good job today. We are very excited for this series.”
The Dodgers saw firsthand how solid the White Sox are, especially at home. Friday night’s win was their eighth straight at Rate Field and 23rd of the season at the park. They have the second-most home victories and the second-best home record in the majors behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
“It’s the fans,” second baseman Chase Meidroth said. “It’s the fans showing up every day. It’s so exciting to come back to it. We love playing home games. The energy here, it’s truly second to none.”
The White Sox fed off the environment that the sellout crowd of 37,882 provided in an explosive fifth inning.
They sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame, plating seven runs on five hits and chasing Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki from the game. Vargas had an opposite-field double, and Tristan Peters had a two-run triple as the White Sox stacked quality at-bat after quality at-bat in the frame, and the fans roared with each turn at the plate.
“It was special,” Venable said. “It was electric, starting with the fans. 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 the contributions from everybody were special. It was just a great atmosphere to be a part of.”
White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters slides into third base for a two-run triple in the fifth inning against the Dodgers on June 12, 2026, at Rate Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
For all the Dodgers’ might, they looked pedestrian against the White Sox for all but one inning Friday night.
Santiago Espinal singled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs in the second off White Sox starter Anthony Kay. That looked to be the start of a big inning. The Dodgers loaded the bases again two batters later with the heart of the order due up. But Kay buckled down and struck out Andy Pages and induced a fly ball from Freddie Freeman to escape the jam.
“It’s awesome. That’s a mature moment,” Meidroth, who also collected three hits, said. “A few things didn’t go his way early, and it’s easy to give in there, but he’s a dog. He’s been a dog all year, and he’s going to keep fighting, fighting for us. I love seeing that, limiting the damage.”
Kay allowed a two-out single to Miguel Rojas in the third, but then he combined with Bryan Hudson, Trevor Richards and Chris Murphy to retire the final 19 Dodgers hitters.
Kay used his slider more than any other pitch and lowered his fastball usage, using that combination to stymie a potent Dodger lineup and retire the final seven hitters he faced. The left-hander struck out seven and allowed two runs in five innings.
“That was probably the best my whole arsenal felt all year,” Kay said. “The fastball was really good, and the sweeper had a lot of movement. We were aggressive with it all day. It was really good.”
White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas and left fielder Sam Antonacci celebrate a 8-2 win over the Dodgers on June 12, 2026, at Rate Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
That start by Kay kept the White Sox in the game and helped make it an even more special day for Vargas against his former team. The third baseman had a three-hit game, his first hits in his fourth career game against the team that traded him to the Sox in 2024.
“I want to beat not just the Dodgers, I want to beat everyone,” Vargas said. “Definitely it’s an important series for us. Definitely, competing against old teammates is always fun.”
Injury updates
Munetaka Murakami (hamstring) did work on the field before Friday’s opener. He ran on the field the last two days, but neither the slugger nor the White Sox know definitively when he’ll be back.
“The prognosis is normally around 4 to 6 (weeks), as stated in the past,” Murakami said pregame through an interpreter. “I’m going to keep focusing on what I have in front of me and stay very patient with myself and keep going.”
Kyle Teel (sprained lateral collateral ligament) has ramped up baseball activities, and “it could be a matter of days before we send him out (on a rehab assignment),” Venable said before the game.
Noah Schultz (right knee patellar tendinitis) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Saturday. If that goes well, he might go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.
Andy Martinez is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.