In 155 video games since being known as up by the White Sox to the Majors on July 4, 2025, in Colorado, you’ve got hit 43 homers. The primary one got here on July 22 of final season and the newest arrived within the eighth inning Saturday, giving the White Sox a 3-1 victory over the Guardians at Progressive Subject — their first win in that ballpark since 2024.
So of those 43 connections, rating Montgomery solely behind Kyle Schwarber (54) and Junior Caminero (46) for the reason that date of his first, which is the shortstop’s favourite?
“Tonight,” stated a smiling Montgomery. “I don’t keep in mind most of them. I’ll simply say tonight.”
Fact be instructed, Montgomery was prompted to say Saturday’s Statcast-projected 402-foot blast throughout his postgame media scrum. But it surely’s a sensible choice even with out the facility of suggestion.
After getting walked off in every of the primary two contests of this four-game weekend set, Montgomery’s blast introduced the White Sox (46-42) even with the Guardians (47-43) atop the American League Central. Their dropping streak ended at three, which means the White Sox stay the one workforce within the Majors with no dropping streak of 4 video games or longer this season.
Montgomery’s team-best twenty second dwelling run got here off left-handed reliever Tim Herrin, giving him eight off southpaws in ‘26. So, the obvious reward for a primary anniversary in Main League Baseball is the house run.
“I’ve simply narrowed down the issues I must do on a day-to-day foundation, what my physique must prepare for the sport,” stated Montgomery of his first 12 months within the large leagues. “What mentally I must do earlier than the sport. Arising right here, final 12 months as a brand new man, I felt like I wanted to do every thing, be all over the place.
“Everybody right here, we’ve all gotten to the purpose the place we all know what we have to do. That’s the largest factor. The sport and stuff, our coaching will care for itself out on the sector. It’s extra of simply the method on a day-to-day foundation.”
Proper-hander Sean Burke was dominant towards the Guardians, setting a profession excessive with 11 strikeouts towards no walks. He yielded seven hits, together with an Austin Hedges dwelling run, however stranded a runner at third with lower than two outs on three events.
Brandon Eisert earned the victory with two excellent innings of aid, as Grant Taylor notched his third save with little hassle within the ninth. However Burke’s outing was win-deserving.
“He had a extremely good cutter tonight,” stated Cleveland supervisor Stephen Vogt of Burke. “Clearly the nice fastball as effectively. He was laying in that curveball, and he can form the cutter, slider. They mimic one another and one’s larger. I assumed he commanded that arm-side cutter very well. He went to it in nearly each motion rely and was simply dotting that exterior nook, identical to he did a pair weeks in the past at their place. He was excellent.”
“It was excellent. He simply crammed up the zone,” stated White Sox supervisor Will Venable of Burke. “That was the sport plan coming in. A part of beating these guys is limiting walks. Clearly he did that. Knew it was going to be about persevering with to pound the zone.”
Right here’s the place Montgomery’s eighth-inning connection, following his first inning RBI double off All-Star Parker Messick scoring All-Star Miguel Vargas, takes on which means past the anniversary. Montgomery and Burke are good associates except for being teammates, residing collectively and figuring out collectively in Nashville for a lot of the offseason.
They know the way good this workforce might be. They know the high-level on-field capabilities inside one another, whatever the on-field outcomes.
“He was a dawg in the present day, from the beginning,” stated Montgomery of Burke. “His previous couple of outings, he’s discovered his groove and he’s going to proceed to maintain constructing on it. Tonight he was large for us.”
“I see the work he places in. We work out collectively each single day,” stated Burke of Montgomery. “I see how he’s as an individual hanging out, simply chilling on the home within the offseason. Our conversations, what we speak about, what we would like for one another and the workforce. I’m not shocked at any of this. He’s that particular of a participant.”
Their mixed efforts ended the South Siders’ nine-game dropping streak at Progressive Subject, as they final gained in Cleveland on July 3, 2024. They hope their successful methods proceed Sunday, sending the White Sox dwelling with a collection cut up and in first place.
“We maintain enjoying effectively, they maintain enjoying effectively, it’s going to be a race all the way down to the wire,” Burke stated. “It’s good for us after dropping two heartbreakers to get in right here and pull out one late.”
