Miguel Vargas powered the White Sox to their first 2026 win. After Colson Montgomery’s grand slam put Chicago ahead 4-0 yesterday, Vargas provided the same spark tonight in Miami with a grand slam of his own to make it 8-0.
“Always feels good to help my team win games,” Vargas said in a post-game interview with CHSN.
Overall, it was a great response from the White Sox, who came into Loan Depot Park swinging, despite a tough loss last night to Milwaukee that saw the team blow a 7-2 lead. Chicago’s offense showed off why Brewers’ manager Pat Murphy gave them such high praise.
“Mark my words right now: That Chicago White Sox team will be something to be reckoned with in that division,” Murphy said last weekend.
The White Sox bats totaled nine hits, nine RBI, and two walks in a win over Miami that left them with their first defeat of the young season. All nine runs were driven in by both Vargas and outfielder Austin Hayes, who drilled a three-run homer just over the wall in left to add to a 1-0 lead brought on by Vargas.
Things were positive headed into Monday for the Marlins, who were 3-0 for the first time since 2009. Riding the high of former Cubs prospect Owen Caissie walking off the Rockies, things looked good to start for former Twins pitcher Chris Paddack. However, it quickly unraveled after Hays and Vargas took chunks of pitches and turned them into eight runs.
For the fish hitters, the idea was to get ahead and battle Chicago pitchers early. Before today, the White Sox pitching staff possessed an MLB-worst ERA of 10.13, while giving up the second-most hits and third-most walks. Though in his first start of the season, White Sox pitcher Davis Martin countered the Marlins well.
Martin’s five innings mark the first South Side arm to go that deep into a game this season, as woes for pitchers have marked the start of Chicago’s 2026. His day was far from perfect, with three runs given to Miami in those five innings, but the bullpen bounced back from their meltdown yesterday.
The defense also showed out with some big plays from Acuña at short and Lenyn Sosa at second today, who seems to have improved that tool after a rough season in the field last year. Acuña’s diving stop got the Sox out of a jam in the fifth, with a double play off a liner from Sosa doing the same in the third.
Sean Newcomb followed Martin’s outing with two perfect innings, but in the bottom of the eighth, things got scary again. For the second night in a row, the White Sox faced a bottom frame of the eighth inning with bases loaded and two outs.
Chicago called upon pitcher Jordan Hicks after Newcomb loaded the bases and gave up a run. Hicks, acquired from Boston this winter, made sure history did not repeat itself, finding his way out of the jam via pop-out.
Hicks also got through the ninth and closed a mostly shut door. He displayed some great stuff, including a sinker that clocked into triple digits.
While Miami was unable to convert enough to win, but their catcher, Liam Hicks, found three RBI in a great showing that the Marlins can build on tomorrow. The White Sox will try to shut him down tomorrow in the team’s second game of the series in Miami. The team will send Erick Fedde to the mound in his return to the rubber for the Sox at 5:40 CDT.
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Featured Photo: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
