Gonzalez's Milestone Homer
Jacob Gonzalez Hits First Major League Homer, White Sox Beat Phillies 6-3 to Even Series
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Jacob Gonzalez hit a 428-foot home run — his first ever in the major leagues — as the Chicago White Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on June 6, 2026, at Citizens Bank Park. The win evened the three-game series at one game apiece and kept Chicago's surprise 2026 season on track with a 33-30 record, according to CBS Sports.
The victory came in only Gonzalez's sixth game since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte. He was recalled on May 30 to replace injured first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who is out four to six weeks with a hamstring strain, Sox Machine reported.
White Sox Erupt for Four Runs in the First Inning
Andrew Painter had a brutal first inning. The Phillies starter threw 42 pitches before recording the third out. Andrew Benintendi drove in a run with a single. Tristan Peters followed with a two-run double. Two RBI groundouts capped the four-run frame, according to Sox Machine.
Painter never recovered. By the third inning, Colson Montgomery crushed a solo home run — his 16th of the season. Two batters later, Gonzalez hit his milestone blast to make it 6-0, CBS Sports reported. Painter finished the day having never found a rhythm, dropping his record to 1-7.
Gonzalez Steps In After Murakami's Injury Rattled Chicago
Murakami was the heart of the White Sox offense before going down. The 26-year-old led the American League with 20 home runs at the time of his injury. He hurt his right hamstring on May 29 while hustling to beat out a double play against the Detroit Tigers, according to MLB.com.
Manager Will Venable acknowledged the loss was significant. "Obviously, [Murakami] makes a massive impact," he said. "But you've got to find ways to continue to put plays together." Gonzalez, a first-round pick in 2023 (15th overall), answered that call in a big way, per MLB.com.
Phillies Cut the Lead But Grant Taylor Slams the Door
Philadelphia did not go quietly. Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh each hit solo home runs in the middle innings. Adolis GarcÃa added an RBI single to make it 6-3. The Phillies got within striking distance, but Chicago's pitching held firm, according to Reddit r/whitesox.
Closer Grant Taylor struck out the side in the ninth inning to seal the win and earn his second save of the season. Starting pitcher Sean Burke picked up the win, improving to 3-3. Burke threw 4â…“ innings as a "bulk" reliever following opener Brandon Eisert, CBS Sports reported.
White Sox Resilience Draws Praise — and Some Skepticism
Chicago media celebrated the team's depth. Sox Machine called the win "an authoritative effort," noting the White Sox forced Painter into a "grueling" opening frame and never looked back. The franchise entered 2026 with low expectations after losing 95 games between 2023 and 2025.
Not everyone is convinced the good times will last. Some national analysts point to a middle-of-the-pack team OPS and question whether young hitters like Gonzalez can replace Murakami's steady production. The White Sox face the Yankees and Dodgers in upcoming series — a stretch that will test this team's true standing in the AL Central race, per Reddit r/whitesox.
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