{"id":863961,"date":"2026-06-13T06:40:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/863961\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T06:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:40:17","slug":"chicago-white-sox-ride-5-run-7th-to-8-2-win-over-la-dodgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/863961\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago White Sox ride 5-run 7th to 8-2 win over LA Dodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The \u201ctarps off\u201d section tucked away in the left-field upper deck at Rate Field broke out a chant as the Chicago White Sox took their final at-bats Friday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want Shohei,\u201d the several dozen shirtless fans yelled.<\/p>\n

That, of course, is Los Angeles Dodgers megastar Shohei Ohtani, arguably the game\u2019s best player and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. That\u2019s the confidence that\u2019s bubbling around the first-place White Sox, who continued their upward ascent this season by beating the Dodgers 8-2 in the series opener.<\/p>\n

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Photos: Chicago White Sox 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 2 at Rate Field<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And while Ohtani did not play<\/a> because of a left knee injury, the Dodgers are, after all, back-to-back World Series champions, the model franchise in the game and the team with the biggest targets on their back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know how important this series is for the whole team in general,\u201d White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas said. \u201cWe want to play this type of team; they are really good, and see how we are. We did a really good job today. We are very excited for this series.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dodgers saw firsthand how solid the White Sox are, especially at home. Friday night\u2019s win was their eighth straight at Rate Field and 23rd of the season at the park. They have the second-most home victories and the second-best home record in the majors behind the Tampa Bay Rays.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the fans,\u201d second baseman Chase Meidroth said. \u201cIt\u2019s the fans showing up every day. It\u2019s so exciting to come back to it. We love playing home games. The energy here, it\u2019s truly second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n

The White Sox fed off the environment that the sellout crowd of 37,882 provided in an explosive fifth inning.<\/p>\n

They sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame, plating seven runs on five hits and chasing Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki from the game. Vargas had an opposite-field double, and Tristan Peters had a two-run triple as the White Sox stacked quality at-bat after quality at-bat in the frame, and the fans roared with each turn at the plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was special,\u201d Venable said. \u201cIt was electric, starting with the fans. Obviously a very good environment to play in. They showed up, and our guys responded. I thought we played with a lot of energy, and the contributions from everybody were special. It was just a great atmosphere to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WhiteWhite Sox center fielder Tristan Peters slides into third base for a two-run triple in the fifth inning against the Dodgers on June 12, 2026, at Rate Field. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

For all the Dodgers\u2019 might, they looked pedestrian against the White Sox for all but one inning Friday night.<\/p>\n

Santiago Espinal singled with the bases loaded to drive in two runs in the second off White Sox starter Anthony Kay. That looked to be the start of a big inning. The Dodgers loaded the bases again two batters later with the heart of the order due up. But Kay buckled down and struck out Andy Pages and induced a fly ball from Freddie Freeman to escape the jam.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s awesome. That\u2019s a mature moment,\u201d Meidroth, who also collected three hits, said. \u201cA few things didn\u2019t go his way early, and it\u2019s easy to give in there, but he\u2019s a dog. He\u2019s been a dog all year, and he\u2019s going to keep fighting, fighting for us. I love seeing that, limiting the damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kay allowed a two-out single to Miguel Rojas in the third, but then he combined with Bryan Hudson, Trevor Richards and Chris Murphy to retire the final 19 Dodgers hitters.<\/p>\n

Kay used his slider more than any other pitch and lowered his fastball usage, using that combination to stymie a potent Dodger lineup and retire the final seven hitters he faced. The left-hander struck out seven and allowed two runs in five innings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably the best my whole arsenal felt all year,\u201d Kay said. \u201cThe fastball was really good, and the sweeper had a lot of movement. We were aggressive with it all day. It was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WhiteWhite Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas and left fielder Sam Antonacci celebrate a 8-2 win over the Dodgers on June 12, 2026, at Rate Field. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

That start by Kay kept the White Sox in the game and helped make it an even more special day for Vargas against his former team. The third baseman had a three-hit game, his first hits in his fourth career game against the team that traded him to the Sox in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to beat not just the Dodgers, I want to beat everyone,\u201d Vargas said. \u201cDefinitely it\u2019s an important series for us. Definitely, competing against old teammates is always fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Injury updates<\/p>\n