A game that has been hanging around since June 11
The Chicago White Sox host the Atlanta Braves this Thursday afternoon at Rate Field. It was never on the original slate. This is the make-up for the June 11 game, washed out by the weather. Both teams were supposed to be off.
Chicago won the first two games of the series on June 9 and 10. Two one-run victories. A win on Thursday would finish off a sweep stretched across 10 weeks, between the American League Central leaders and the top team in the National League East.
The White Sox head home for a seven-game stand. They come in off a 3-0 win at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, ending back-to-back late losses to the Cubs. Rookie right fielder Braden Montgomery drove in two runs. “It’s great to see the city show out like that for both teams. I love big-time competition, and the last few days have been some really good baseball,” he said.
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Atlanta arrives under pressure
The Braves are wobbling. Eight losses in their last 12 games. Three straight defeats to open a seven-game road trip. The Minnesota Twins just swept them, outscoring them 14-7 over three games.
That detail stings for Chicago: those same Twins sit four games behind the White Sox in the AL Central. Atlanta, though, still tops the NL East.
On Wednesday’s 6-4 loss, Ozzie Albies had the Braves’ only extra-base hit, a double in the eighth. He had already driven in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Lane Thomas each added a hit and an RBI. Manager Walt Weiss admitted his hitters are still struggling to handle ABS challenges. “It’s harder than it looks. In the heat of the moment, you have to make a split-second call. You have to weigh the risk and the reward right there,” he said.
Holmes against Kay on the mound
Atlanta sends Grant Holmes (7-5, 3.82 ERA). The right-hander faced Chicago on June 9, the only outing of his career against the White Sox: three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings, with no decision. Miguel Vargas hit him for a two-run homer in the third. Vargas has been scorching of late, batting .417 on the road with three homers and four RBIs against Detroit and the Cubs. Holmes had strung together two quality starts with six shutout innings in August before blowing up on Saturday against Arizona: six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
On the other side, Anthony Kay (9-5, 4.01). The left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts this month. He has faced the Braves only once, on August 4, 2020 while with Toronto, and tossed two scoreless innings. Manager Will Venable praised Jose Urquidy’s six scoreless innings of long relief on Wednesday, which helped freshen up the bullpen for this one.
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