CHICAGO – The White Sox are a .500 team at 21-21, by virtue of a 6-3 victory over the Royals Wednesday night at Rate Field.
That .500 mark might not seem like a major accomplishment, not when it’s the definition of breakeven. But it’s a significant milestone for a White Sox squad moving from rebuild to competitive stature, marking the first time they have been at .500 this late in a season since they finished a maddeningly frustrating 2022 campaign at 81-81.
Tyler Davis earned his first career victory with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, relieving Noah Schultz, who walked five and struck out three over 4 1/3 innings. The White Sox broke a 3-3 tie with two outs in the fifth when Jarred Kelenic laced a double to right, scoring two, and Colson Montgomery added his 11th home run leading off the seventh to make that margin more comfortable.
Jordan Hicks pitched out of trouble in the top of the seventh, with runners on first and third and nobody out. He struck out Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr. and Lane Thomas to keep the Royals off the board.
Wednesday’s victory marked the fourth straight for the White Sox, who improved to 4-2 against the American League Central. They are also 4-2 against the Royals, as the only team they’ve played within the division. Cleveland (24-21) continues to lead the division, but the White Sox are in second place at 1 1/2 games back.