CINCINNATI — The White Sox finally might have something brewing.
As they keep pace with their historically awful 2024 win-loss record, the Sox have played some of their best baseball through two games of a series against the Reds at Great American Ball Park, where they won 4-2 on Wednesday behind a dominant start from right-hander Davis Martin.
“The grit of the team — we’re not going to give up,” Martin said after the longest start of his career at 6⅔ innings. “We weren’t closing. We weren’t finishing the games off. And now I think we’re just executing.”
The victory gave the Sox their first three-game winning streak of the season, but, more important, the box scores have shown impressive returns from young players who could make it to the other side of this rebuild.
Rookie shortstop Chase Meidroth slapped home the go-ahead run with a single in the 10th inning Tuesday of the Sox’ 5-1 win, which was punctuated by third baseman Miguel Vargas’ towering three-run home run.
Rookie catcher Edgar Quero went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI and had a key defensive stop on a late-game steal attempt by Reds outfielder Connor Joe.
Meidroth and Quero notched hits and flashed leather Wednesday, too, and freshly promoted designated hitter Tim Elko had the second hit of his career and 24-year-old utility man Brooks Baldwin smacked a ninth-inning double.
“That’s what you hope for when these young guys in the minors come up,” assistant general manager Josh Barfield said.
‘‘You look at the Chases, the Queros and Timmy — they all have the ability to control the zone. I call them survival skills.
‘‘They can survive up here, even when they might not be swinging it the best.”
Right-hander Jonathan Cannon pitched six dominant innings Tuesday with six strikeouts and no walks, a gem that was salvaged by Meidroth and Vargas even after things started feeling achingly familiar with a blown save.
“We’re starting to see some of that clean baseball turning into wins; that was a huge boost for our team,” Cannon said.
Benintendi sidelined for homecoming
Outfielder Andrew Benintendi was disappointed to miss Pete Rose Night at his hometown ballpark as he recovers from a strained left calf.
“He’s meant a great deal to this city. As a guy from Cincinnati, I’m happy that [they] made a decision like that,” Benintendi said, referring to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s posthumous reinstatement of the all-time hit king.
“When you think about a guy like that, the hustle, the longevity — he played 24 years. He was one of the best hitters of all time,” said Benintendi, who grew up a Reds fan.
On the injured list since May 7, Benintendi ran sprints on the field before the game and said he’s still a few days away from returning to the lineup.
It’s his second stint on the injured list after an adductor strain last month.
“If it was up to me, I’d be back right now,’’ he said. ‘‘These little nagging things have cut me out from playing. You’ve got to go back through that again and try to find a rhythm.’’
Aiding his recovery was a trip home, which always includes a stop at Skyline Chili, famed for its polarizing spaghetti-based chili buried in shredded cheddar.
“An acquired taste, I’ve been told,’’ he said, ‘‘but the family’s got a couple of Skyline [franchises], so I can’t say anything bad.”