White Sox use pitching, defense to beat Athletics 1-0

<p>In two days, the <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox" >White Sox</a> showed they can take divergent paths to winning.</p><p>Just hours removed from a 13-run rout, the Sox beat the Athletics 1-0 on Saturday. The offense that broke out Friday only scored on a sixth-inning double by <b>Chase Meidroth</b>.</p><p>That left the pitching and defense to deliver the win.</p><p>“The guys are just finding ways to win. We’ve talked about that all year,” manager <b>Will Venable&nbsp;</b>said. “We love the blowout [wins] and those are always great, but you’ve got to win these close games where you’ve got to just find different ways.”</p><p>Bulk pitcher <b>Erick Fedde&nbsp;</b>(four innings) and four others combined to allow four hits. <b>Grant Taylor&nbsp;</b>got the last five outs, <b>Sean Newcomb&nbsp;</b>pitched 1 1/3 innings and was one of the beneficiaries of shortstop <b>Luisangel Acuna’s&nbsp;</b>defense.</p><p>With a runner at third and no outs in the eighth, Acuna preserved the Sox’ lead. Playing in, Acuna snagged a 104.2 mph <b>Tyler Soderstrom&nbsp;</b>grounder. Taylor replaced Newcomb, striking out <b>Shea Langeliers&nbsp;</b>and getting <b>Jonah Heim&nbsp;</b>to ground out to end the inning.</p><p>“[Acuna] saved the game a bunch of times,” Meidroth said. “Without what he did on defense today we don’t win that game. Props to him for showing up and playing both sides of the ball.”</p><h2>Gonzalez gone</h2><p>The story of the 2026 Sox can’t be told without <b>Jacob Gonzalez</b>.</p><p>Called up from Triple-A Charlotte when <b>Munetaka Murakami&nbsp;</b>injured his hamstring, Gonzalez (a shortstop by trade) filled in at first base and slashed .244/.323/.360. The Sox went 17-18 during Murakami’s absence, and Gonzalez was a reason they stayed in contention. A first-round pick in 2023, Gonzalez had struggled in professional baseball before this year, but adjustments to his swing made him a major-league player and contributor to a winning team.</p><p>But when <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/07/10/white-sox-activate-munetaka-murakami-from-injured-list-option-jacob-gonzalez-to-charlotte" target="_blank" >Murakami returned Friday</a>, Gonzalez was optioned back to Charlotte. Then he was traded to the Pirates along with lefthanded reliever <b>Brandon Eisert</b> for the 34th pick in Saturday’s draft and minor-league pitcher <b>Jaden Woods</b>.</p><p>“He meant a lot,” Venable said. “Obviously, there’s the objective performance and what he did in driving in runs in big spots and the defensive value he provided. To give us that stability was obviously huge and a really big story of us being able to have a strong first half.”</p><p>Sox general manager <b>Chris Getz&nbsp;</b>said the team felt “it was the right move for the Chicago White Sox” to make the trade for more draft capital. The pick was used on Nazareth Academy shortstop <b>Landon Thome</b>, the son of Hall of Famer <b>Jim Thome</b>.</p><p>To fill out the roster after the trade, the Sox recalled left-handed pitcher <b>Tyler Schweitzer</b> from Charlotte.</p><h2>Derby day</h2><p>When he swings in Monday’s Home Run Derby, Murakami won’t even be a week removed from that hamstring injury. If there’s any risk, the Sox don’t seem too worried.</p><p>Venable said “everyone’s supportive” of Murakami’s decision.</p><p>“He’s in a good spot, he’s out here playing major-league games and we’re doing that with the confidence that he can go out and do that,” Venable said. “He takes home run derby every single day when he takes batting practice. That’s just how he hits the ball. I think he’ll be fine.”</p>

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