Down 4-0, then three swings, then a walk-off in center
August 21, 2026 - Chicago - Jake Rogers turned on a 98.1 mph fastball with two outs in the ninth and sent it 401 feet to center. Center fielder A.J. Ewing leaped at the wall. The ball did not come back.
Pinch-runner Braden Montgomery scored ahead of him. The Chicago White Sox beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Elvis Night at Rate Field. Rogers' first walk-off homer, and his first homer since the White Sox claimed him off waivers from Boston last week.
Chicago had trailed 4-0 after five. Then the sixth inning erased the deficit in three pitches that never came back.
Vargas, Grichuk, Montgomery: back-to-back-to-back
Sean Manaea had blanked Chicago into the sixth. Munetaka Murakami walked with one out. Miguel Vargas hit his 29th homer to left. Randal Grichuk went deep for his 11th. Colson Montgomery tied it at 4 with his 27th.
It was the second time this season the White Sox hit three consecutive homers. The first was Murakami, Vargas, and Montgomery in Arizona on April 21. Same shape. Different month. Same Rate Field roar.
New York had built the lead on Marcus Semien's RBI single, Brett Baty's two-run double after Luis Robert Jr. reached on a misplay, and Bo Bichette's solo homer in the fifth. The Mets entered having won five of six. They left with a bullpen loss.
Taylor got the ninth. Yan got the wrong fastball.
Grant Taylor (5-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the win after walking Robert to open the frame, then locking down the next three. Jefry Yan (1-1) walked Colson Montgomery to start the bottom half. Braden Montgomery pinch-ran and moved up on Brenton Doyle's sacrifice. One batter later, Rogers ended it.
Yan entered known for big mound celebrations after strikeouts. This was his first major league loss in his seventh game, and the first homer he has allowed in the majors.
Chicago had dropped three of four before Friday. The AL Central leaders needed a night that looked like a clinching atmosphere. They got one.
Rogers has at least one hit with four teams this season. None of the first 20 came close to this one. Colson Montgomery's walk started the ninth. Doyle's bunt moved the runner. Yan threw a fastball Rogers could drive. Rate Field on Elvis Night did the rest. The Mets had won five of six. They left Chicago with a first career loss for Yan and another reminder that a 4-0 lead is not a finished game against this White Sox lineup.
AthX Engine scored the rally, not just the walk-off
AthX Engine put the White Sox at 11 team fantasy points, tied with Philadelphia and several other clubs on Friday's second tier. Vargas scored 9 hitting fantasy points. Fantasy points measure the box. Price moves on its own clock.
What's next
Luis Castillo starts Saturday for Chicago. Christian Scott goes for New York. One walk-off does not clinch a division. Nights like this are why AthX Engine keeps Rogers and Vargas on the same Rate Field card.
*Sources: ESPN recap, ESPN box score, MLB.com, MLB schedule, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*
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