White Sox pick up where they left off with 5-run outburst in 2nd frame

TORONTO -- After emerging as one of the American League's surprise playoff contenders in the first half, it didn’t take long for the White Sox to pick up right where they left off as they made their return from the All-Star break on Friday.

Tasked with opening its second half north of the border, Chicago silenced a packed Rogers Centre early, springing for five second-inning runs against the Blue Jays and starter Spencer Miles that sparked a convincing 12-4 win.

“Slugging and scoring runs is a big part of our identity,” White Sox manager Will Venable said postgame of the quick start. “So to come out and do that, [it] means a lot. These guys had a good break there and were able to rest. But we’re able to come back ready to go, and it was great.”

Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi got the rally started with back-to-back singles to open the second before Kyle Teel delivered the first blow of the game -- a well-placed double down the left-field line to score Montgomery. From there, Braden Montgomery pushed Benintendi across on a run-scoring fielder’s choice and later came around himself on Chase Meidroth’s single.

It all set the stage for Sam Antonacci’s sixth homer of the year, a Statcast-projected 365-foot moonshot at a 43 degree launch angle into the right-field bleachers for a 5-0 lead.

The two-run shot marked the first time in Antonacci’s career that the 23-year-old rookie has homered in back-to-back games after going deep against the Athletics in Chicago’s final game before the break.

Chicago’s leadoff man gave some credit to his dad, Bill, for throwing to him over the break and making sure that he was ready to come back ready to go.

“It’s always nice to get in the groove right away,” Antonacci added. “It felt like even though it was three or four days, we’d been away for a while. So, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Despite surrendering a run in four straight frames, the White Sox bats continued to give their pitching staff some breathing room with two more big innings later in the game.

First, it was Colson Montgomery who capped a fifth inning in which Chicago sent eight batters to the plate by lining a bases-clearing double into the left-center-field gap. Not to be outdone by his namesake, Braden Montgomery delivered the club’s second bases-clearing knock of the night with a seventh-inning triple to the wall in right field.

“It’s awesome,” Braden Montgomery said of the feeling in the dugout during those big innings. “That just kind of stokes the flames, and I feel that’s the best way to describe the vibes. Obviously, we’ve got this fire in us, but add a little bit of oxygen to the fire now and again, [that’s] where we get more excited to keep going, keep the foot on the pedal.”

For a White Sox team that is ranked second in the American League in runs (466) and tied for second in slugging (.414), Friday’s combination of power and timely hitting was a continuation of what they’ve done all season.

“That’s what those guys do,” said Chicago starter Anthony Kay, who struck out five and limited damage over four innings of two-run ball. “They hit, they’re relentless, and it’s really fun to watch.”

Behind Kay, the White Sox used three relievers to finish off the victory, including rookie southpaw Tyler Schweitzer. The 25-year-old earned his first career victory by tossing three scoreless innings while striking out three.

The win lifted Chicago to a season-high-tying six games over .500 (51-45) and extended its winning streak to four games.

Even though the White Sox have enjoyed more success in 2026 than anyone outside their clubhouse may have expected entering the season, it hasn’t changed the way Venable wants his club to approach the remaining 66 games.

“[I] really just want to make sure that we don't forget the things that got us here,” he said pregame.

And that's a message that clearly isn’t lost in his clubhouse.

“We’re trying to go out and win every day and really not listening to anyone else,” Antonacci said. “We know what we can do. We know what we’re capable of. It’s just if we want it more than anyone else, and I think that’s what separates us from a lot of other teams.

“We’re hungry, and we just want to win. It doesn’t matter how or who’s going to get it done.”