Brayan Rocchio hits 2-run homer in 9th to lift Guardians over White Sox 6-5 in AL Central showdown

[July 03, 2026]  CLEVELAND (AP) — Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Cleveland Guardians a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the AL Central.
 
Cleveland (46-42) rallied from a three-run deficit and trails Chicago (45-41) by less than a full percentage point atop the division standings.

Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio, second from right, is mobbed by teammates as he runs to home plate after hitting a game winning home rum in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Pinch-hitter David Fry launched a solo homer in the seventh that trimmed the Guardians' deficit to 5-4.

White Sox reliever Grant Taylor (4-2) walked Rhys Hoskins leading off the ninth. Kahlil Watson flied out to center before Rocchio pulled a 99 mph fastball down the right-field line for his sixth home run this season.

Tim Herrin (1-3) pitched a perfect inning for the win.

Travis Bazzana hit an RBI double and Rocchio drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

Sam Antonacci delivered an RBI double and scored on Kyle Teel's two-run double to put Chicago ahead 3-2 in the fifth.

Braden Montgomery doubled leading off the sixth and Chase Meidroth's two-run homer made it 5-2, chasing Guardians starter Slade Cecconi.

Daniel Espino, Shawn Armstrong and Herrin combined to allow one hit in four innings of scoreless relief.

Cleveland loaded the bases against reliever Sean Newcomb in the sixth and cut it to 5-3 on an RBI groundout by Chase DeLauter.

Fry connected off Brandon Eisert in the seventh for his second pinch-hit homer this year.

White Sox starter Davis Martin gave up two runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings without striking out a batter. He walked five and threw only 37 of his 73 pitches for strikes.

Up next
White Sox LHP Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.50 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.81) on Friday night.

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