White Sox narrowly escape a no-hitter against Braves

On Thursday, the Chicago White Sox faced off against the Atlanta Braves, who were on the brink of achieving a no-hitter. Designated hitter Andrew Benintendi thwarted this effort in the seventh inning with a hit to left field off Braves starter Grant Holmes. The single marked the only hit for the team in a 2-0 defeat at Rate Field, where 17,052 fans were in attendance.

“Everybody we faced was exceptional, especially Holmes,” said White Sox manager Will Venable. “Holmes controlled the strike zone well, pitching in areas that challenged us. Despite our early strong swings, minimal opportunities arose, evidenced by the single hit in the seventh.” Holmes, along with three other relief pitchers, limited the Sox to one hit. Holmes pitched six-plus innings, striking out three and walking three.

Sox catcher Drew Romo noted the difficulty posed by Holmes’ slider. “His slider was consistently troublesome for us,” Romo commented. This match was originally meant to take place on June 11 but was postponed due to storms.

Manager Venable commended the fans’ turnout for the rescheduled midweek day game, emphasizing their energy. Holmes retired Sox’s first five batters before Colson Montgomery’s walk in the second inning. Another base runner emerged in the sixth when Romo walked. Despite some strong hits captured by Braves defense, the Sox could not convert them into runs. Miguel Vargas and Braden Montgomery both had hard-hit balls that didn’t translate into hits.

The only offensive surge for the Sox happened in the seventh inning. Vargas advanced on a walk and Benintendi’s subsequent single marked the end of Holmes’ outing after 94 pitches. “We faced different challenges during the game, including Holmes’ slider,” said Venable. “He pitched well, and it was one of those games where we struggled to find solutions.”

Didier Fuentes, a Braves reliever, entered the game with runners on base. He struck out three successive Sox batters, sealing the best opportunity for the White Sox to score that day. This marked the Sox’s ninth shutout loss this season, despite their standing in first-place with a 66-61 record. The Minnesota Twins, in second place, found themselves trailing by 3½ games after their day off.

On the pitching front, Anthony Kay represented the White Sox in the loss, surrendering two runs from five hits, alongside six strikeouts and one walk in six-plus innings. Kay remarked on the effectiveness of his game plan, acknowledging execution from both him and catcher Romo. His “sweeper” pitch was particularly successful, a technique he had improved following his previous performance.

Austin Riley was responsible for both Braves scores, with an RBI double in the third and an RBI single in the seventh, the latter against reliever Huascar Brazobán. Despite the Braves’ 1-for-11 struggle with runners in scoring position, they managed enough offensive momentum to secure victory.

Kay acknowledged the strength of the Braves, stating, “These guys are a formidable team. You have to bring your best against everyone, notably a team like them. We gave our best effort, though the result wasn’t favorable.”