Chicago White Sox Fall in a 2-0 Loss to the Atlanta Braves

Chicago White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi prevented a no-hitter on Thursday by breaking through with a single to left field in the seventh inning off Atlanta Braves starter Grant Holmes. Despite his efforts, the White Sox only managed one hit in a 2-0 defeat against the Braves at Rate Field before an audience of 17,052.

Sox manager Will Venable praised the Braves’ pitching, stating, “Everyone that we saw was really good, starting with Holmes. He did a strong job controlling the zone, putting pitches where they were difficult for us to hit.” He noted that although the team made some solid contact early, opportunities were limited.

“Really, just no traffic there — obviously with just the one hit late and the one opportunity in the seventh there. But they did a great job pitching.” — Will Venable

Holmes, alongside three relievers, was responsible for the one-hitter. He pitched six-plus innings, walking three and striking out three. Sox catcher Drew Romo commented on Holmes’ slider, “He’s got a good slider and he was throwing it a lot, giving us trouble.”

The game was a makeup for a postponed June 11 match due to storms. Venable acknowledged the fan turnout for the midweek game, “The fans did a great job.” Holmes felt confident during his outing and maintained that mindset to keep the team in the game. He retired the first five Sox batters before allowing a walk and didn’t allow another base runner until the sixth inning.

The Sox faced a 2-0 deficit in the seventh when Vargas walked, and Benintendi followed with his single on a 3-1 slider. That was Holmes’ last batter, as he exited the game having thrown 94 pitches.

Venable reflected on the game, “You have different challenges you need to solve, and the slider was one today. Holmes did well with everything, and we just couldn’t find a way.” Reliever Didier Fuentes took over for Atlanta, navigating a first-and-second no-out jam by striking out the side.

This was the Sox’s best chance to score in a game where they faced a ninth shutout this season. Despite the loss, the first-place Sox (66-61) maintained a 3.5-game lead in the AL Central over the Twins, who had a break on Thursday.

Anthony Kay took the loss with a commendable performance, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out six over six-plus innings. Kay assessed their strategic approach, “We had a good game plan. Drew and I executed well. I was in the zone, managed pitch counts, and that led to good results.”

Kay specifically emphasized the effectiveness of his sweeper, which was worked on between starts for improved outcomes.

“I think the results show we were pretty good with it.” — Anthony Kay

Austin Riley provided the offensive support needed for the Braves. He collected an RBI double in the third inning and an RBI single in the seventh. Michael Harris II contributed by scoring after a double. Although the Braves were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, their efforts were sufficient for the win.

Assessing the team’s performance, Kay remarked, “These guys are a strong team. You need to play at your best against every team in this league, especially a good team like them. We were prepared; the results just didn’t fall in our favor.”