Lance Lynn kept the Chicago White Sox in the game, and the offense scored early runs to set the tone for Saturday's win. The Sox did a 180 compared to their lifeless performance in the series opener . They found themselves in jeopardy of letting the game slip away in the ninth until Tim Anderson turned a double play to end it.
Early on, it appeared that Atlanta's ace Spencer Strider would dominate the South Siders. Strider struck out five of the first six batters he faced, but that quickly changed in the third. Andrew Benintendi got the Pale Hose on the board with a single to left that scored Zach Remillard.
Remillard led off the inning with a single, and Oscar Colas followed with another base hit. Luis Robert Jr. capped off the inning with an RBI double that scored Benintendi and Colas.
Give and Take
The three-run lead quickly disappeared in the bottom half of the inning. The vaunted Braves lineup launched two homers off Lynn, starting with Eddie Rosario's leadoff solo shot. Two batters later, Ronald Acuna Jr. belted a two-run blast that scored Michael Harris II to tie the game.
The Braves and Sox would trade runs again in the fifth. Benintendi doubled to score Seby Zavala, and in the bottom half of the inning, Austin Riley plated Ozzie Albies with a single after Albies tripled with two outs. However, the White Sox would take the lead in the sixth when Jake Burger blasted his 20th homer, a solo shot off of Strider.
Benintendi came through again in the seventh with his third run driven in, a single that scored Colas, who doubled to lead off the inning.
The Last of Lynn?
Lance Lynn, who may get traded at the upcoming deadline, pitched effectively, considering the Braves boast the best lineup in baseball. The righty lasted 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks. Gregory Santos relieved Lynn and pitched a smooth inning and two-thirds.
Some Drama and A Win
Keynan Middleton and Kendall Graveman recorded the last six outs, but now without some drama. Middleton allowed a leadoff double and walked two to load the bases but induced Michael Harris into a pop-out to escape the jam. Acuna Jr. left the yard to lead off the ninth off Graveman, but the Braves had runners on the corner after he sandwiched in a strikeout between base hits.
However, a broken bat grounder from Sean Murphy led Tim Anderson to the bag, and he stepped on second before firing a strike to Andrew Vaughn to end the game.
News and Notes
Chicago handed Atlanta its first loss at home since June 11 against Washington.
The White Sox won their first game in Atlanta in eight tries. The Braves swept them at Turner Field in 2002 and Truist Park in 2019.
What's On Tap Next?
Dylan Cease will take the mound for the White Sox against Kolby Allard in Sunday's series finale. The Braves are looking to win their 11th consecutive series, while the Sox try to win their first series since June 23-25 against Boston. First pitch is at 12:35 PM CT and the game will air on NBC Sports Chicago. Sox On Tap will have a postgame show.
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