A sweep is a sweep, even if there’s a 10-week lull before it’s settled.
On Thursday afternoon, the Chicago White Sox will look to confirm that notion when they host the Atlanta Braves in a makeup game between division leaders.
This originally was a scheduled day off for both clubs.
American League Central-best Chicago earned consecutive one-run victories against Atlanta, tops in the National League East, on June 9-10. The series finale, initially scheduled for June 11, was postponed due to inclement weather.
The White Sox will return to Rate Field for a seven-game homestand after salvaging a game from the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The 3-0 victory on Wednesday that capped the three-game series followed successive walk-off White Sox defeats on Monday and Tuesday. While the results weren’t what the Sox wanted, a youthful core relished a frenzied atmosphere.
“It’s awesome. I mean, seeing the city show up the way they did for both sides,” said White Sox rookie right fielder Braden Montgomery, who drove in two runs on Wednesday. “I love great competition, and these past few days have been great baseball.”
Atlanta returns to Chicago with losses in eight of its past 12 games, including the first three on a seven-game road trip.
The Minnesota Twins, who trail the White Sox by four games in the division, outscored the Braves 14-7 during a three-game sweep this week.
Ozzie Albies doubled in the eighth inning for Atlanta’s lone extra-base hit in Wednesday’s 6-4 loss. He had a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the sixth. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Lane Thomas each added a hit and an RBI.
Braves manager Walt Weiss said the team improved its approach at the plate on Wednesday but still could be better. One ongoing area of emphasis for Atlanta hitters is assessing when to use ABS challenges.
“Look, I mean it’s been a running debate; I just think it’s tougher than it looks, you know,” Weiss said. “It’s in the heat of the moment, and it has to be a split-second decision. You’re trying to weigh the risk and the reward in the moment. It’s just a lot to think about.
“After the fact, you’d like to have some of those calls overturned, but I don’t think it’s quite as easy as it looks.”
Chicago will get a second crack at Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (7-5, 3.82 ERA), who scattered three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings during a no-decision on June 9 in his only career appearance against the White Sox.
Miguel Vargas reached Holmes for a two-run home run in the third inning of that game. More recently, Vargas batted .417 (10-for-24) with three home runs and four RBIs during the team’s 4-2 road trip against the Detroit Tigers and Cubs.
Holmes delivered six shutout innings in consecutive quality starts to begin August before struggling during a 10-3 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks last Saturday. He allowed six runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
Left-hander Anthony Kay (9-5, 4.01 ERA) will start for Chicago on Thursday. He is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA this month in three starts covering 17 2/3 innings. Kay is coming off Saturday’s no-decision at Detroit, when he spaced three runs, six hits, one walk and four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Chicago won 4-3.
Kay made one career appearance against the Braves as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, on Aug. 4, 2020. He threw two scoreless innings.
Meanwhile, White Sox manager Will Venable credited Jose Urquidy’s six shutout innings of bulk relief Wednesday for helping the relief corps reload for Thursday and beyond.
“It’s huge,” Venable said. “We turn around (Thursday). We’ve got another tough task, obviously, with the Braves.”
–Field Level Media
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