White Sox Triumph Over Guardians With Ninth-Inning Rally

The Chicago White Sox players lingered near their dugout, their celebration momentarily halted. Both the Sox and the Cleveland Guardians awaited a video review to decide if Tristan Peters reached home plate safely before the tag by catcher Patrick Bailey, following a single by Sam Antonacci. Peters confidently stated, “I was pretty sure I made it.” However, the play was close.

Would this review determine a Sox comeback win or push the game into extra innings? Antonacci stood waiting alongside his teammates, anxious for the decision. The initial call on the field was safe. After an extended review, this ruling remained unchanged.

Antonacci’s two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning secured a 6-5 victory for the Sox over the Guardians in front of 23,151 fans at Rate Field. Chicago’s left fielder Sam Antonacci delivered a walk-off RBI single, cementing the Sox’s win on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Chicago.

The Sox improved their record to 40-37, bouncing back from the brink of a second consecutive late-inning loss. They pulled level with the Guardians (41-38) atop the American League Central standings. Manager Will Venable remarked on the game’s intensity, “It was a wild one. But the team did a great job fighting through it.”

Antonacci was instrumental, recording two hits, three RBIs, a walk, and a run in this crucial series opener. Venable praised Antonacci’s competitive nature: “He thrives in these situations. You see it in his at-bats.”

The Sox had control throughout much of the game. Starting pitcher Anthony Kay managed six scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out eight. The Sox established a 3-0 lead with an RBI double from Braden Montgomery in the second inning, an RBI single by Andrew Benintendi in the third, and a sixth-inning home run by Randal Grichuk. The Guardians managed to tie the game with three runs in the seventh off reliever Grant Taylor.

The bullpen has been reliable early this season. They won’t be perfect every day; you count on them to close games. They’re learning and will seize future chances.

The Sox responded with a crucial seventh-inning, broken-bat RBI single by Antonacci. His grounder, unexpectedly spinning past first baseman Rhys Hoskins, brought in the go-ahead run.

“There was a lot of spin on the ball,” Antonacci explained. “My top-spin swing hit off the end, causing it to curl unexpectedly. Grass contact altered its direction.”

Heading into the ninth with a 4-3 lead, reliever Seranthony Domínguez faced challenges. He walked Travis Bazzana, who later advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Bailey’s single. “Walking the first batter is unacceptable,” Domínguez acknowledged. “I need to improve.”

Bailey scored again on a sacrifice fly, narrowly beating Peters’ attempt to reclaim the lead for Cleveland. “I could’ve made a better throw,” Peters admitted. “I aimed to keep it controlled, but it caught the mound. My next throw will be sharper.”

Peters had another opportunity in the ninth. After Montgomery’s one-out walk, Peters managed a timely check-swing double to left field. “Guardians’ closer Cade Smith’s sweeper caught me off-guard,” Peters noted. “But my swing aligned right, nailing it along the line.”

Despite Jacob Gonzalez striking out, Antonacci wasted no time with a first-pitch single back up the middle. Montgomery scored easily, and Peters dashed home, narrowly ahead of center fielder Daniel Schneemann’s throw. This secured the Sox’s walk-off win.

“Our focus was tying it up, and Peters’ speed was key,” Antonacci explained. “The opposition played well. It felt like a playoff game, and we look forward to maintaining this form.”