ARLINGTON, Texas — The Chicago White Sox took a two-run lead in the top of the fourth inning. The Texas Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half, but Sox starter Anthony Kay delivered a crucial ground ball. Elias Díaz hit to third base, where Miguel Vargas fielded it, stepped on the bag, and threw to first for a double play. Though a run scored, Kay struck out Alejandro Osuna to end the inning with minimal damage.

“To escape that with only one run was huge,” Kay said. “A great play by Vargas over at third and then we were able to get out of it.”

Kay allowed two runs on five hits over five innings, contributing to the Sox’s 4-2 win in front of 31,127 fans at Globe Life Field. The left-hander improved to 7-4 with four strikeouts and two walks. The victory helped the Sox reclaim the top spot in the American League Central, aided by Cleveland’s 10-6 loss to Minnesota.

Manager Will Venable praised Kay’s performance. “He just did a really good job of managing the game,” Venable said. “He was competitive in the zone and got the big double play, landing sweepers effectively.”

The series win placed the Sox (54-47) a game ahead of the Guardians (54-49). “Every series win is important,” Venable said. “We want to win each game and series, and we achieved that today.”

Chase Meidroth led the Sox offense with four singles and two RBIs. Andrew Benintendi added two hits and two RBIs, while Braden Montgomery scored three runs. Meidroth’s timely hitting was crucial, saying, “It feels good coming through with runners on.”

In the second inning, Montgomery walked, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Meidroth. The Rangers tied it with a home run from Cam Cauley, but the Sox regained the lead in the fourth. Murakami walked and scored on another Meidroth single, followed by an RBI from Benintendi, making it 3-1.

The Sox extended their lead in the sixth. Montgomery singled and advanced to third on a hit-and-run, scoring on a single by Benintendi. “Our offense is very multi-faceted,” Meidroth noted, emphasizing their diverse capabilities.

The bullpen excelled, with three relievers combining for eight strikeouts and no hits over four innings. Venable credited their execution, saying, “They executed pitches, pounded the zone, and each did a great job.”

Fielding errors in the sixth were mitigated by reliever Jordan Hicks, while Grant Taylor struck out five of six batters over the seventh and eighth innings. Bryan Hudson finished strong in the ninth for his fourth save, sealing a successful trip to Toronto and Texas. “Toronto’s atmosphere is tough,” Kay remarked, highlighting the significance of winning four out of six games to start the second half of the season.