![\"Coby](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ctc-l-white-sox4.jpg\")
Coby Mayo of the Orioles pushes Lenyn Sosa of the White Sox during a rundown in the fourth inning Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (Mitchell Layton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nBALTIMORE \u2014 May began with the Chicago White Sox winning three of their first four games.<\/p>\n
The month ended Saturday with the Sox losing five of six after falling 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles in front of 23,470 at Camden Yards. All five losses were by one or two runs.<\/p>\n
Jackson Holliday (solo) and Jorge Mateo (two-run) homered for the Orioles.<\/p>\n
The game featured a brief bench-clearing incident in the fourth when Coby Mayo lunged to make contact with Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa during a rundown. Sosa then looked for an explanation and got shoved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he tried to make a dirty play and after that I just went to him and tried to ask him, \u2018Why did you do that?’\u201d Sosa said through an interpreter. \u201cHis reaction was to push me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both benches and bullpens emptied before order was restored.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019re supposed to do,\u201d Sosa said of the support from his teammates. \u201cHere, we know that each one of us has everybody else\u2019s back. That\u2019s what it is. If we\u2019re going to fight, we\u2019re going to fight together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third baseman Josh Rojas added: \u201c(Mayo) came out of the baseline, trying to get runner\u2019s interference. Sosa had some words to say to him and he gave Sosa a little shove. So I just gave (Mayo) a friendly little shove.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t going to let him get a free one on Sosa. Just gave him one back and it\u2019s all good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coby Mayo of the Orioles pushes Lenyn Sosa of the White Sox during a rundown in the fourth inning Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (Mitchell Layton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
For the second straight game, the Sox came up short in a rally against Orioles closer F\u00e9lix Bautista. Trailing 4-2, they had two on with one out in the ninth. Bautista struck out Luis Robert Jr. and Austin Slater to end the game.<\/p>\n
Mike Tauchman<\/a> had three hits, an RBI and a run in the loss.<\/p>\n Throughout the month, in which the Sox went 11-17, manager Will Venable noticed areas where \u201cwe\u2019ve seen some really good things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the pitching side, we\u2019ve seen some of our starters do a really nice job,\u201d Venable said before the game. \u201cOverall there are still a lot of things we are grinding on and working on, knowing that we have to do a better job of being in the zone, throwing strikes, continuing to get outs any way we can.<\/p>\n \u201cDefensively, baserunning-wise, offensively, all good things but still some key areas where we really need to do a better job.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look back at May and a look ahead to June.<\/p>\n 1. Miguel Vargas took his turnaround to another level. Vargas worked the count full in the first inning May 16 against the Chicago Cubs<\/a>.\u00a0On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, he hit a sweeper over the left-field wall for a two-run home run. Vargas homered again in his next at-bat, part of a four-hit day for the third baseman.<\/p>\n Adjustments at the plate, including having his hand slightly higher, began paying off in late April for Vargas \u2014 and it led to an explosive May. Entering Saturday, Vargas had a .274\/.340\/.589 slash line in May with nine doubles, seven home runs and 17 RBIs in 25 games.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the player we envisioned,\u201d general manager Chris Getz said recently. \u201cAnother example of taking a step back, making some adjustments, intervening and finding something that made him more comfortable and allowed him to catch up to velocity, be more consistent at the plate.<\/p>\n \u201cHe deserves a ton of credit. You don\u2019t see a lot of players make adjustments in season and it works that quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Vargas earned American League Player of the Week<\/a> honors for May 12-18.<\/p>\n May also saw consistency at the top of the lineup from Chase Meidroth<\/a>. The shortstop had a 12-game hitting streak from May 11-25.<\/p>\n \u201cHis overall game, what he\u2019s accomplished so far early on in his career, has been really impressive,\u201d Getz said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t see him stopping.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Andrew Vaughn has a chance to \u2018press pause\u2019 after being optioned to Charlotte. Vargas has spent more time at first base since the Sox optioned Vaughn and Tim Elko<\/a> to Triple-A Charlotte when outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Tauchman returned from the injured list May 23.<\/p>\n Vaughn, the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft, had a .189 average with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 48 games when the Sox made the move.<\/p>\n \u201cFor him, it was about having an opportunity to press pause on the pressure of performing here and give him a chance to regain himself without any major swing adjustments or anything,\u201d Venable said Saturday. \u201cJust take a little bit of a break and go down there and find yourself again.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s on track to do that and kind of take it day by day and continue to work through the things he needs to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sox also made a change to their catching group Tuesday, trading Matt Thaiss to the Tampa Bay Rays<\/a> as Korey Lee returned from the IL to join Edgar Quero.<\/p>\n
\n![\"White](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CTC-L-cubs-sox020_229322206.jpg\")
White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the Cubs on May 16, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
\n![\"White](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CTC-L-sox-brewers037_228512500.jpg\")
White Sox designated hitter Andrew Vaughn pulls up after making the final out in the ninth inning against the Brewers on April 30, 2025, at Rate Field. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n