The Chicago White Sox left Cleveland with exactly what they came for. Sunday’s 7-6 win over the Guardians salvaged a split of the four-game series and pushed Chicago’s AL Central lead to a full game at 47-42, after the Guardians had taken the first two on walk-offs and briefly made the division race look like it was tilting back toward the lake.
The young lineup did the heavy lifting again. Colson Montgomery hit his 23rd home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third that made it 6-3, and Kyle Teel and Tristan Peters added solo homers. That is three home runs from three players age 26 or younger, which has quietly become the template for how this team wins. Montgomery’s average sits at .224, and the strikeouts are still part of the package — but 23 homers and 53 RBI from a shortstop in early July is production the rebuild was always supposed to deliver, and now it is delivering in games with standings weight.
Erick Fedde ground through 5.1 innings for the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits, and the bullpen made it stand up just barely. Cleveland clawed back to tie the game at six before Chicago pushed across the decisive run against Colin Holderman, and Sean Newcomb recorded the final five outs — no hits, two strikeouts — for the save.
The honest read: this was not a clean win. Fedde was hittable, the middle relief gave the lead back, and a 7-6 final against a direct division rival is a coin flip dressed up as a statement. But first place on July 6 is first place, and the White Sox are 6-4 over their last ten with the schedule about to soften into a home set.
After a Monday off day, Chicago opens a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at home Tuesday, with rookie left-hander Noah Schultz (2-5, 5.86 ERA) taking the ball, per the Associated Press game notes.
