Aaron Civale delivered a dominant performance on the mound Saturday night, allowing just one hit over 6 1/3 innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 1–0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Entering the matchup as +110 underdogs, the White Sox capitalized on early offense and shutdown pitching to secure the narrow win and surpass their total number of victories from the previous season.
With the win, Chicago improved to 42–69 and continued its post-All-Star break resurgence. The club has won 10 of its last 14 games, showing significant progress from its record-setting 2024 campaign in which the team finished 41–121 — the most losses by any major league team in the modern era.
Civale, acquired by Chicago earlier this season, turned in his most efficient outing to date with the club. The right-hander struck out eight and allowed only one baserunner via a fourth-inning infield single by Zach Neto. He improved to 3–6 on the season and has not allowed an earned run across his last three starts, totaling 17 1/3 innings with just seven hits surrendered during that span.
The game’s only run came in the second inning. Luis Robert Jr. led off the frame with a single and came around to score on Kyle Teel’s RBI base hit to left field. The run proved the difference, as Angels starter Kyle Hendricks kept Chicago off the board the rest of the way. Hendricks, who dropped to 6–8 with the loss, allowed one run on six hits over six innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out two.
Despite the early threat in the fourth when Neto reached on a slow roller and Nolan Schanuel followed with a walk, Civale calmly retired the next three batters to end the inning. That would be the closest the Angels came to mounting a scoring opportunity.
Chicago’s bullpen ensured the lead held up. Left-hander Brandon Eisert retired all five batters he faced, bridging the gap to the ninth. Jordan Leasure came on to close out the game, securing his third save in seven opportunities and preserving the combined one-hitter.
Offensively, the White Sox managed six hits, including two from Brooks Baldwin. They were without infielder Miguel Vargas, who was scratched from the lineup due to a left oblique strain.
The Angels, now 53–61, have lost three consecutive games and continue to struggle offensively. Saturday’s result marked the fifth time Los Angeles has been held to one run or fewer since the break. Neto’s infield single was the team’s only hit, and the lineup failed to generate sustained pressure against Civale or the Chicago bullpen.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon, with right-hander Sean Burke (4–8, 4.17 ERA) scheduled to start for the White Sox. The Angels will counter with right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (3–9, 5.75 ERA) as they salvage the series’s final game.
