Key facts
- Davis Martin pitched six scoreless innings and earned his ninth win.
- The White Sox defeated the Braves 2-1 to move into first place in the AL Central.
- The White Sox have won seven consecutive home games.
- Braden Montgomery had two doubles and extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
- Chris Sale allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings for the Braves.
Davis Martin pitched six scoreless innings to earn his ninth win as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Atlanta Braves 2-1 on Wednesday night, propelling the White Sox into first place in the AL Central. The victory marked the White Sox's seventh consecutive home win and their ninth in the last 13 games overall. Chicago now holds a half-game lead over Cleveland in the division standings, marking the latest in the season they have led since 2021.
Martin (9-2) delivered his third outing of at least six innings without allowing a run this season, giving up six hits, striking out six, and walking one. He now matches Aaron Ashby and Gavin Williams for the major league lead in victories. Braden Montgomery, who hit a walk-off homer in his MLB debut the previous day, contributed two doubles on Wednesday and extended his hitting streak to 11 games. His on-base streak reached 21 games.
Braves pitcher Chris Sale (8-5) surrendered two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. The White Sox took the lead in the fourth inning when Derek Hill singled in Montgomery, who then scored on a grounder by Luisangel Acuña. The Braves managed to score in the seventh inning against reliever Sean Newcomb when Miguel Vargas failed to handle a grounder from Ozzie Albies, allowing Jorge Mateo to score from first base. Bryan Hudson secured his third save by pitching the ninth inning.
In the previous game, Braden Montgomery hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the 10th inning of his MLB debut, lifting the White Sox to a 6-5 victory over the Braves. Montgomery's opposite-field shot cleared the fence in left field, making him the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homer in his debut. Montgomery, 23, was acquired from the Red Sox in a December 2024 trade and had been hitting .315 for Triple-A Charlotte. He is the 12th White Sox rookie to debut this season.