The White Sox fell to the Phillies 6-3 on July 28, but the returns of Luis Robert Jr. and top prospect Colson Montgomery offered a hopeful glimpse of the future.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
For a few hours on Monday, the final score felt secondary. The collective exhale from the South Side was palpable as Luis Robert Jr. trotted out to center field, his forearm scare firmly in the rearview. Add in the much-anticipated return of top prospect Colson Montgomery, and you had the makings of a hopeful evening. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Phillies had a different script in mind, handing the White Sox a 6-3 loss to start the series.
We have to keep grinding. The effort is there, but we need to execute better in key situations.
The biggest win of the day came before the first pitch. Luis Robert Jr. was back in the lineup after negative X-rays on his right forearm quieted fears of a serious injury. He immediately made his presence felt, lacing a double and scoring a run in a 1-for-4 performance. The Sox also made a significant move for the future, recalling shortstop Colson Montgomery from Triple-A Charlotte and optioning Bryan Ramos. The club's No. 4 prospect, Montgomery was immediately inserted into the starting lineup, working a walk in an 0-for-3 night that gave fans a fresh look at a key piece of the rebuild.
While the future was on display, the present was a struggle. Starter Garrett Martin couldn't find his footing, falling to 2-9 on the season after allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings. The offense, meanwhile, was largely silenced by Phillies ace Ranger Suárez. The one major spark came from Andrew Benintendi, who launched a two-run homer, his 13th of the season. The blast also pushed him to 42 RBI, marking his third straight year reaching the 40-RBI mark. A solid bullpen effort kept the game within reach, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
The loss drops the Sox to 38-69, and manager Will Venable's postgame comments reflected the frustrating reality of a team that has now lost three straight. 'We have to keep grinding,' he said, emphasizing the need for better execution. While the big-league club struggles, the farm system continues to provide hope. The DSL White Sox pulled out a 7-5 win Monday, and the system's top tier remains strong with names like Noah Schultz, Braden Montgomery, and Hagen Smith. With Colson Montgomery now in Chicago, the organization's focus on building from within is on full display every night.
As the Sox look to even the series against the Phillies, the story remains the same. The final score is important, but the real measure of success for the rest of 2025 will be the health of Robert Jr., the development of Colson Montgomery, and the continued search for the pieces that will turn these frustrating losses into wins. The grind continues, but with each glimpse of the future, the hope for a different outcome grows.
