NEW YORK – For the second consecutive day, the White Sox had a game to forget. They battled the Yankees for four innings and were down by one run on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. By the time the game ended, Chicago was pounded, 10-5.
But center fielder Everson Pereira gave an example of why the White Sox are fun to watch in 2026. The team was down seven runs when he made a spectacular catch worth talking about.
With two outs in the seventh inning, runners at the corners and White Sox right-hander Trevor Richards on the mound, Ben Rice hit a ball deep to left-center field that looked like a guaranteed double. But Pereira made an all-out leaping, backhanded catch and then smashed his face into the wall.
“It was crazy,” teammate Colson Montgomery said. “It’s one of the most impressive catches I’ve seen. It’s kind of the defender that he is. He will sacrifice his body to make whatever catch that he does. It was an awesome catch.”
Pereira stayed on the ground for several minutes after making the play, but he got up on his own power and walked off the field before leaving the game for pinch-hitter Tristan Peters in the eighth. Pereira was under concussion protocol, but it’s not known how serious his head injury is.
“He is a little shaken up, obviously. Great play,” said White Sox manager Will Venable. “He gave up his body to make that play and help Richards get through the end of that game. We have seen Everson make real good plays before. He is a really good outfielder.
“Whether it’s at the plate or defensively, these guys continue to play throughout the game, regardless of the score. It really doesn’t matter. They are out there to do a job. They plan to do a job. A great example is Everson giving himself up there.
“The fact that he was able to get up was good. He was banged up and seeing some stars, especially after he hit the wall so hard and was on the ground for a second. I’m glad he was in a good spot and will be evaluated by the doctors.”
Pereira said after the game that hitting his head on the wall was the worst part, and he felt better after he went into the clubhouse. He said he would make similar catches to help his pitcher.
“That’s what we are here for,” Pereira said through interpreter Billy Russo. “Even though we were down seven runs, we have a pitcher on the mound. The runs count for him, too. We want to do our best to help each other.”
The 25-year-old Pereira – who was signed by the Yankees out of Venezuela in 2017 – is in his first season with the White Sox after being acquired from the Rays in a November trade.
Pereira wasn’t the only member of the White Sox to make his presence felt. Montgomery hit two homers and drove in four runs. He now has 40 career home runs, which are the most by a White Sox batter over his first 140 Major League games. That’s better than players like Hall of Famer Frank Thomas or 2020 American League MVP José Abreu.
Montgomery hit his first career homer on July 22, 2025. Since that day, he is second in the Majors in home runs, behind only the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber (49).
“It goes back to the preparation in the cage, how committed I am each day, working my butt off and doing things that I need to do," Montgomery said. “I feel in my head if I come in every single day, prepare my butt off, do whatever I can, I will have good results.”