The Chicago White Sox sent out a lefty-heavy lineup Tuesday against Ronel Blanco, with Colson Montgomery staying near the center of the card after a night that included a home run and two walks. The matchup with the Houston Astros was set for 7:10 CT at Daikin Park, and Chicago entered at 72-65 while Houston came in at 70-68.
That is what makes this one worth tracking now. The White Sox were trying to shake off a brutal loss on Monday, and the numbers behind the lineup show why the night mattered: Colson Montgomery went 2-for-3 with a homer and two walks, while Munetaka Murakami was still carrying a home run earlier in the season against Blanco even as he came in slumping at.111/.304/.241 over his last 15 games with 24 strikeouts in 54 at-bats. Chicago was leaning into the idea that recent contact could carry into a fast rebound.
The full White Sox order backed that approach. Sam Antonacci started in left field, Munetaka Murakami was at first base, Miguel Vargas at third, Andrew Benintendi at designated hitter, Colson Montgomery at shortstop, Randal Grichuk in right, Tristan Peters in center, Chase Meidroth at second and Drew Romo behind the plate. Grichuk’s start in right field stood out because Braden Montgomery was out of the lineup entirely, even though he had just gone through a.167/.219/.200 stretch over his last seven games. The move also pushed the White Sox further into the left-handed shape they appeared to want against a right-hander.
The Astros answered with Jeremy Peña at shortstop, Yordan Alvarez as the designated hitter, Isaac Paredes at third, José Altuve at second, LaMonte Wade Jr. in left field, Christian Walker at first, Yainer Diaz at catcher, Taylor Trammell in center and Cam Smith in right. The lineups make the next step clear: this was not just another midweek game, but a test of whether the White Sox could turn one strong night from Colson Montgomery into a quick reset against a division-caliber opponent. If Chicago’s rebound was going to start anywhere, it had to start with Tuesday’s first pitch.
