Meidroth Leads White Sox Victory
Chase Meidroth leads Chicago White Sox to 8-2 win over Dodgers
Chase Meidroth went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and the Chicago White Sox routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Friday night at Rate Field, according to AP News. The win came in a sellout crowd of 37,882 — a striking sign of life for a franchise that lost at least 101 games in each of the past three seasons.
A seven-run fifth inning broke the game open, delighting the crowd and exposing a Dodgers team missing star DH Shohei Ohtani, who sat out with left knee inflammation. The White Sox improved to 36-31 and stayed 0.5 games ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central, per AP News.
Seven-Run Fifth Inning Blows the Game Open
The White Sox trailed 2-1 heading into the fifth, but then sent 11 batters to the plate. Miguel Vargas hit a tiebreaking RBI double to left field. Colson Montgomery and Braden Montgomery drew back-to-back walks. Then Meidroth greeted reliever Blake Treinen with a two-run single, according to Houston Chronicle. Tristan Peters capped the rally with a two-run triple to make it 8-2.
Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki, who had posted a 1.48 ERA in his previous four starts, could not escape the inning. He allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4⅓ innings, dropping his record to 3-4, per AP News. White Sox manager Will Venable called the outburst a product of patient, aggressive at-bats.
Meidroth Extends His Hot Streak to 12 Games
Meidroth is now hitting .340 — 16-for-47 — during a 12-game hitting streak. He has also reached base safely in 22 straight games, according to AP News. The second baseman now has five home runs and 21 RBIs on the season. He is quickly becoming the face of Chicago's surprising resurgence.
Vargas, who was traded to Chicago from the Dodgers in July 2024, also went 3-for-4 against his former team. Anthony Kay started on the mound for Chicago and improved to 6-1 on the year, striking out seven over five innings, per AP News.
Ohtani's Absence Looms Large Over Los Angeles
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts benched Ohtani as a precaution. "Just wanted to be smart and not push it," Roberts told reporters, according to AP News. Ohtani had been hitting .400 with three home runs in his last five games before sitting out. Roberts called his concern level "not high" and listed him as day-to-day.
Third baseman Max Muncy was also hit by a pitch during the game, adding to LA's injury concerns. The Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions and still hold a firm NL West lead at 44-25. But their playoff path looks harder without a healthy Ohtani, per AP News.
White Sox Home Dominance Signals a Real Turnaround
Friday's win pushed Chicago to 19-3 in their last 22 home games. The White Sox claimed first place in the AL Central on June 10 for the first time since the end of the 2021 season, according to AP News. The franchise had endured three straight 100-loss seasons from 2023 through 2025.
The series continues Saturday with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68 ERA) starting for Los Angeles against Chicago's Sean Burke (3-3, 3.88 ERA). The White Sox are embracing a new identity — twelve MLB debuts this season, a sellout crowd, and wins over the defending champions.
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