Jacob Gonzalez slugs first career home run as White Sox overpower Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Rookie first baseman Jacob Gonzalez’s first career home run helped power the White Sox to a 6-3 victory against the hottest team in baseball on Saturday in Philadelphia.

The Sox followed their tried and true formula to draw first blood from Phillies starter Andrew Painter, who plunked Sam Antonacci for the rookie’s MLB-leading 14th hit-by-pitch to start the game, walked Miguel Vargas and served up an RBI single to Andrew Benintendi. Chase Meidroth and Gonzalez made it 3-0 with an RBI groundout apiece, and on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, Tristan Peters lined a double down the right-field line to make it a four-spot.

Then, in the third inning, Colson Montgomery smacked a 380-foot rainbow to right field for his 16th homer of the year, and Gonzalez later followed with an impressive inaugural 428-foot dinger that towered to the second deck at Citizens Bank Park.

“That one felt good,” said Gonzalez, who debuted a week ago and was pleased when a reporter pointed out his first career home run ball had been retrieved and tucked in a plastic bag in his locker. “I was just trying to get the ball and play and do something, and that something was pretty cool.”

Sean Burke, who surrendered solo shots to Phillies third baseman Alex Bohm and left fielder Brandon Marsh, labored through 4 ⅓ innings to give up three runs on three hits and five walks following opener Brandon Eisert. But reliever Sean Newcomb shut down the Phillies with a stellar 2 ⅓ innings, and Grant Taylor blew away the side in the ninth with three consecutive strikeouts for his second save of the year.

“The stuff’s electric,” Newcomb said of Taylor. “He’s as good as it gets.”

Openers aplenty

The Sox announced left-handed reliever Tyler Gilbert (0-0, 20.25 ERA in two appearances) will serve as the opener Sunday against Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.55) and the lefty-heavy Phillies lineup ahead of bulk thrower David Sandlin (1-1, 8.10).

Luisangel looking up

The 400-foot RBI double Luisangel Acuna knocked off the left-field wall Friday night marked the longest ball he’s hit since coming to the Sox.

He fell just a few feet shy of his first home run in two years, and it was just his second extra-base hit during what has been a slog of an introduction to fans after the Luis Robert Jr. trade.

Acuna, who was out of the starting lineup Saturday, is hitting a miserable .191/.242/.209, but “he’s going about his business with more confidence,” manager Will Venable said. “Really happy for him because he’s been working so hard and really goes about his business the right way, just hasn’t had the results until recently here.”

The Sox have still gotten more playing time out of Acuna (46 games) than the Mets have from Robert, who hit .224/.327/.329 with two homers and three doubles in 24 games before going down with a back injury in late April.

Taylor-made

Before Saturday’s game, the laid-back flamethrower Taylor was surprised to learn that earlier in the week he’d become the fastest pitcher in Sox history to rack up 100 strikeouts. He did it against the Twins with just 68 innings under his belt, outpacing Michael Kopech’s century mark for K’s in 72 innings.

“I had no idea,” Taylor said after being informed of his franchise feat. “That’s pretty cool. I’m just working on learning more about how to get big-league hitters out and getting better every day.”

The second-year right-hander has sparked All-Star talk this season with a 1.93 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 32 ⅔ innings (25 games).

Quick congrats

First-base coach Jose Leger was back on the line Saturday after missing Friday’s series opener to attend his son’s high school graduation in Florida. Field coordinator Chris Denorfia provided base-running counsel in his stead.

“I’m on my fifth cup of coffee,” Leger said after catching the red-eye to Philly.