Robert homers early and 5 pitchers lead the White Sox to a 1-0 win over Chris Sale and the Braves
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale throws the ball during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. homered in the first inning and five Chicago pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the White Sox beat Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves 1-0 on Thursday.
Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. hits a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Sale (10-3) struck out a season-high 11 in seven innings against his original team. The 35-year-old lefty allowed four hits and walked one in a fourth straight solid start. He was touched up only when Robert connected on a low-inside slider for his eighth home run.
“I was throwing slider. He was hitting slider and he put a good swing on it,” Sale said. “Not too often a first-inning solo homer wins a game, but it happens.”
Chicago ended a four-game slide and won for just the second time in nine games. The White Sox have the worst record in the majors at 22-61.
Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. looks on after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Atlanta has lost two in a row and three of four.
In the makeup of an April 3 rainout, Robert entered batting just .190 but ended an 11-game drought without a home run. He had 38 homers and 80 RBIs during a breakout All-Star season in 2023, but missed nearly two months this year with a right hip flexor strain sustained in Kansas City on April 5.
Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. reacts after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Robert said through a translator he might have faced Sale only twice before, but the fleet center fielder guessed right on Thursday. With two hits, he raised his batting average to .204.
Chicago White Sox's Corey Julks, left, avoids Luis Robert Jr. as he makes a catch for an out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
“I'm not where I would like to be with my offense,” Robert said. “I'm still working on that. I think the last couple of games I've been better with my pitch selection, even though the umpires have been calling some pitches that have been out of the zone.”
Chad Kuhl made his first start for the White Sox and first in the majors since April 2023 with Pittsburgh. He tossed three-plus innings and permitted just one hit, a double by Ozzie Albies leading off the fourth.
The 31-year-old right-hander was removed after 49 pitches. He threw 99 over 4 1/3 innings in relief at Detroit on Sunday, when he allowed two runs and six hits.
“I definitely was starting to hit a wall,” Kuhl said. "I don't know what I finished at today, but super thankful.
“We were open and honest about how I was feeling and they got me out of there at the right time.”
Jarred Shuster (1-0), the second White Sox reliever, pitched three innings for the win. Michael Kopech worked around an error in the ninth for his sixth save in 10 chances.
Kuhl signed with Chicago as a free agent in the offseason and was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte two week ago.
Chicago White Sox's Corey Julks is tagged out stealing second by Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Sale spent his first seven seasons with the White Sox. He was an All-Star in seven straight years through 2018 — five with Chicago and two with Boston — then struggled with injuries before the Red Sox traded him to Atlanta last offseason.
Chicago White Sox's Jared Shuster throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Robert lined the first pitch he saw from Sale down the left-field line and into the White Sox bullpen.
Albies led off the fourth with a double against Kuhl. Justin Anderson relieved and walked Marcell Ozuna, then retired the next three Braves hitters.
Atlanta Braves' Sean Murphy, left, chats with Chris Sale as they walk back to the dugout at the end of the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
John Brebbia yielded a single and a walk with one out in the eighth. Albies popped out and Ozuna was retired on a fly to the wall in right.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: SS Orlando Arcia (dizziness) returned to the lineup after leaving Monday’s game at St. Louis in the sixth inning, then missing Tuesday's doubleheader.
White Sox: OF Gavin Sheets sat out and is day to day with a jammed left heel sustained in Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to the Dodgers.
Chicago White Sox's Danny Mendick steals second base during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Charlie Morton (4-4, 4.20 ERA) faces Pittsburgh LHP Martín Pérez (1-3, 4.71) in Atlanta on Friday night.
White Sox: Rookie RHP Drew Thorpe (1-1, 5.02 ERA) makes his fourth career start against Colorado RHP Dakota Hudson (2-10, 5.63) at home Friday night.
Chicago White Sox's Martín Maldonado, left, celebrates with Michael Kopech after the team's win over the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
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Chad Kuhl's age has been corrected in this story.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Matt Carlson, The Associated Press
Chicago White Sox's Corey Julks is tagged out stealing second by Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Atlanta Braves outfielder Adam Duvall misses the ball against the fence off a Chicago White Sox's Andrew Vaughn double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Atlanta Braves' Marcell Ozuna flies out to Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham with two men on base during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham makes a catch of a ball hit by Atlanta Braves' Marcell Ozuna, stranding two runners during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox's Michael Kopech during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox second baseman Nicky Lopez throws the ball to first base for the out on Atlanta Braves' Austin Riley during the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr., right, celebrates with Paul DeJong after the team's 1-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)