The White Sox blew away the Phillies 9-3 Wednesday behind four home runs from their budding infield core along with stellar outings from spot starter Tyler Alexander and bulk reliever Mike Vasil.
The comeback win after a three-hour, 35-minute rain delay gave the Sox their third series win out of four in their hot return from the All-Star break, going 8-4 to start the second half.
Rookie catcher Kyle Teel put the Sox on the board in the second inning with a solo blast off Phillies starter Taijuan Walker.
KYLE TEEL ‼️ pic.twitter.com/U6kZHtHg3J
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 30, 2025
Alexander — named the starter a few hours before the game in place of trade-deadline commodity Adrian Houser — sailed through three hitless innings until RBI singles by Nick Castellanos and Otto Kemp gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Colson Montgomery tied it back up in the bottom half of the inning with the fifth home run of his young career, a 108 mph opposite-field missile that just cleared the fence in left.
As the Rule 5 Draft rookie Vasil reined in the high-powered Phillies offense, the Sox strung together seven straight hits in the seventh inning. First baseman Miguel Vargas and rookie catcher Edgar Quero broke it open with three-run homers apiece.
It was the second straight game — but just the seventh time this season — that manager Will Venable had penciled both Teel (.277/.378/.394) and Quero (.280/.351/.381) in the same lineup since Teel’s June 6 call-up.
Quero joins in on the fun! pic.twitter.com/RmBPvlx1Un
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 30, 2025
That strategy had frustrated fans who want to see two of the Sox’ top young bats getting everyday playing time, with Venable shying away from it in order to have a catcher available off the bench. “I thought it was a good time. Again, just really about getting Edgar’s bat in there,” Venable said before the game.
It paid off Wednesday with Quero adding a double and both young hitters going 2-for-4 on an all-around positive day for the last-place Sox. Left fielder Andrew Benintendi jumped to rob Bryce Harper of a homer in the top of the eighth.
“We have a lot of talent, but we’ve also got a lot of fight,” Teel said.
Second baseman Chase Meidroth exited the game after taking a pitch off the thumb in the fifth inning. X-rays on Meidroth’s hand didn’t show any structural damage, and he was considered day-to-day.
Vaughn’s resurgence
Andrew Vaughn has torn the cover off the ball for the NL Central-leading Brewers, with five homers, 21 RBI and a staggering 1.157 OPS since the Sox sent their once-floundering first baseman to Milwaukee for starter Aaron Civale.
Are they the fruits of an overdue change of scenery for the former first-round pick — or an indictment of the Sox’ player development system? Venable isn’t overthinking it.
“I’m not surprised. Happy for Vaughny,” Venable said. “It’s really cool to see him go over there, knowing that he was grinding here, and then going over there and getting his mojo back there in Triple-A.”
The Sox cut ties with Vaughn in June after he scuffled to a .189 average in his fifth season. Civale (1-4, 4.10 ERA with the Sox) might move again at the trade deadline.
On the mend
Left-hander Martin Perez (elbow) and first baseman Tim Elko (knee) were both en route to Charlotte for rehab assignments. Perez will make his first Triple-A start Saturday.