The Chicago White Sox didn’t need a barrage of hits to take down the New York Mets again. They needed arms, patience, and one last swing from Tristan Peters.
Chicago bounced back from an ugly pitching outing against New York with a 2-1 walk-off win and wrapped up the series by leaning on another bullpen game that actually held together. After Saturday’s bullpen was taxed when Luis Castillo lasted just 2.2 innings, the Sox pieced together a much cleaner night with just four pitchers and very little damage allowed.
Sean Newcomb got the ball first and handled two innings with ease, allowing two hits while striking out three. Erick Fedde followed as the bulk reliever and covered four innings, giving up three hits and a walk while punching out two. He exited in the seventh with runners on first and second and nobody out, setting up a high-leverage spot for Hagen Smith.
Smith walked into a mess and walked right out of it. He struck out the side to escape the jam, then came back for another scoreless inning. Through his first eight major league innings, he has been almost impossible to square up, piling up 13 strikeouts while allowing just one hit - a Pete Crow-Armstrong walk-off homer.
Grant Taylor was next and, after not allowing an earned run since July 2, he ended up blowing the save. Even so, he limited the damage and kept the White Sox within striking distance long enough for the offense to finish the job.
That offense had spent most of the night spinning its wheels against Mets starter Nolan McLean. Through six innings, McLean had allowed only one hit and four walks, and Chicago went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position before finally breaking through. Andrew Benintendi delivered the key hit, ripping a clutch double that brought in Miguel Vargas from first base and gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead.
New York answered after Taylor’s shaky ninth, but Peters had the final word. With one out in the bottom of the inning, he launched a walk-off home run that barely cleared the wall on a 3-1 fastball. It was the second walk-off win over the Mets in the series, and another reminder that even when the bats are quiet, the White Sox have found a way to win.
Now Chicago turns to a three-game set against the Texas Rangers before an off-day. On Monday, Rangers starter Kumar Rocker will face the White Sox offense, while José Urquidy gets the ball for Chicago in another bullpen day. Urquidy is coming off six shutout innings in his last outing and will try to do it again against Texas.
In Other News...
White Sox Fans Finally Have A New Way To Judge Vaughn
Andrew Vaughn has spent enough time around the White Sox to know that first base defense is often judged by feel as much as by hard evidence, but Statcast has finally given fans a fresher way to look at it. The new receiving leaderboard breaks down the job into specific skills like scoops and handling different kinds of throws, adding some needed clarity to a position where the little plays can blend together from one game to the next.
For Vaughn, the early read is encouraging. Statcast had him as a net positive defender, with particular strength on bounced throws and balls arriving high, even if his catch radius still leaves room for improvement. It is a more nuanced picture than a simple good-or-bad label, and one White Sox followers can use as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Put Two Key Infield Prospects On Hold At Once
The White Sox have put the brakes on two of their most closely watched infield prospects at the same time, with Roch Cholowsky and Billy Carlson both shut down for the rest of the 2026 season. Cholowsky is dealing with a right wrist issue, while Carlson is working back from a skin infection and the treatment that came with it, leaving Chicago to take the cautious route with two players it views as important pieces for the future.
For a farm system trying to build real depth up the middle, the timing is a frustrating one, even if the long view matters more than any one summer. Both prospects are now focused on recovery and on getting ready for the 2027 season, which means the organization will spend the coming months waiting to see how each one responds before the next step in their development comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Teels Return Gives White Sox One More Catcher Question Down The Stretch
Kyle Teel is finally on the move again, and the White Sox are hoping the latest step gets him back on the field for good. After a season interrupted by a right hamstring strain, a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee and a left ankle sprain, Teel has been cleared for game action and is set to begin a rehab assignment with Charlotte, giving the organization a chance to see how his body holds up in real action.
For a White Sox club trying to sort out the catcher spot over the final stretch, Teels return to the lineup picture carries obvious significance. Getting him back to full health would give the team a steadier option behind the plate, but the rehab assignment is the first checkpoint, and the bigger question is whether he can stay healthy long enough to matter in the seasons last weeks. [Read more 🡒]