CHICAGO — Davis Martin pitched six scoreless innings for his ninth win of the season as the Chicago White Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1 on Wednesday night at Rate Field to move into first place in the American League Central Division standings.
The White Sox (36-31) have won seven straight games at home and nine of their past 13 overall, including two straight against the National League East’s Braves (45-23), who currently have the best record in Major League Baseball.
Chicago moved a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians, who lost to the AL East’s New York Yankees earlier Wednesday. This is the latest in the season the White Sox have led their division since 2021.
Martin (9-2) recorded his third outing of at least six innings without allowing a run this season. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up six hits, struck out six batters and walked one as he matched Aaron Ashby and Gavin Williams for the MLB lead in victories.
White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery, who doubled and hit a game-ending homer in his MLB debut Tuesday, when Chicago won 6-5 in 10 innings, had two more doubles Wednesday.
Atlanta left-handed starter Chris Sale (8-5), a nine-time MLB All-Star and the 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner, allowed two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The White Sox went ahead in the fourth when Derek Hill singled in Montgomery, then scored on a grounder by Luisangel Acuña.
The Braves got on the board in the seventh against reliever Sean Newcomb when Miguel Vargas couldn’t handle a grounder to third from Ozzie Albies, allowing Jorge Mateo to score from first base. Bryan Hudson pitched the ninth for his third save of the season.
Chicago’s Chase Meidroth extended his on-base streak to 21 games and his hitting streak to 11 games with an infield single in the third.
Martin stranded seven baserunners, pitching out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second by striking out Mateo and getting Austin Wynns to line out.
Atlanta made several roster moves Wednesday, including placing right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. — Luisangel’s older brother — on the 10-day injured list after the five-time MLB All-Star exited in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring. Acuña pulled up and was limping after trying to beat out a grounder to Vargas.
It is Acuña’s second left hamstring injury of the season. He was on the 10-day IL from May 3-18 with a strain, also exiting a game after attempting to run out a grounder.
The 28-year-old Acuña is hitting .251 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs.
The Braves also placed right-handed relief pitcher Tyler Kinley on the 15-day IL retroactive to June 8, designated right-handers Jhancarlos Lara and Carlos Carrasco for assignment, selected the contract of first baseman Rowdy Tellez and right-hander James Karinchak from Triple-A Gwinnett, recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Gwinnett, and agreed to terms with outfielder Elioberto Mondesir on a minor league contract.
Atlanta has lost the first two games of a series for the first time since dropping their first two against the Pittsburgh Pirates last Sept. 26-27 before winning the regular-season finale.
The Braves were coming off a sweep of the visiting Pirates in a three-game set last weekend at Truist Park before heading to Chicago, but the White Sox have ensured Atlanta’s series record this year will drop to 18-3-1.
The Braves will try to avoid being swept for the first time this season when they face the White Sox on Thursday night. The scheduled starting pitchers for the series finale are left-handers Martín Pérez (4-3, 3.02 ERA) for Atlanta and Anthony Kay (5-1, 4.40) for Chicago.
The White Sox had dropped two of three games in series with the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies before hosting the Braves, but Chicago was coming off a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers before that.