# White Sox tumble from first place in September collapse > Chicago's surprising season unravels as key players slump and the bullpen falters down the stretch. - Title: White Sox tumble from first place in September collapse - Summary: Chicago's surprising season unravels as key players slump and the bullpen falters down the stretch. The White Sox lost their AL Central lead for the first… - Keywords: white sox, al central, september collapse, will venable, tommy pham, sean newcomb, munetaka murakami, colson montgomery, cleveland guardians, mlb, playoff race, news - Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/09/16/sputtering-white-sox-fall-out-of-al-central-lead-for-the-first-time-since-july-4-will-venable-tommy-pham-colson-montgomery-munetaka-murakami-sean-newcomb-anthony-kay-hagen-smith - Published: 2026-09-16T21:38:23.13+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: white sox, al central, september collapse, will venable, tommy pham, sean newcomb, munetaka murakami, colson montgomery, cleveland guardians, mlb, playoff race, news ## Sox lose first place in Cleveland The White Sox fell out of the AL Central lead for the first time since July 4th after a 6-3 loss to the Guardians, dropping a half-game behind. > A tough series; I think that's a good characterization of that one. ## Pham's homer can't stop the slide Tommy Pham, signed to hit left-handed pitching, blasted a go-ahead three-run homer off Guardians ace Parker Messick in the fifth inning, but the Sox still lost. > We ended up losing, man, so it's pointless. ## Lineup struggles with runners in scoring position Over their last nine games, the White Sox are hitting just .194 with runners in scoring position, going 14-for-72, and 3-for-14 with the bases loaded. ## Murakami and Montgomery fade in second half The middle-of-the-order right-handed hitters have ceased being everyday forces in the second half, leaving the lineup without crucial balance. ## Newcomb's bullpen dominance crumbles Sean Newcomb, a rock of the bullpen all season, has allowed runs in five of his last six outings and acknowledged he hasn't been himself. > I haven't been myself. Just not being super crisp, hitters being more in tune with what I'm doing. ## Guardians walk off Sox three times The fourth-worst offense in MLB has walked off the White Sox three times this season, including rallying for four sixth-inning runs off Newcomb. ## Venable's pitching moves questioned Manager Will Venable pulled Anthony Kay early and brought in Hagen Smith, who issued two walks that Newcomb couldn't clean up, leading Venable to blame himself. ## Looseness evaporates in tight spots Despite Will Venable's success creating a relaxed atmosphere, the team's composure disappears when runners are in scoring position. ## High-power offense tilts toward low-contact The White Sox have a high-power, low-contact offense that's increasingly relying on contact in crucial moments, a dangerous trend. ## Bullpen cornerstones are faltering The heavily-used bullpen's key arms are struggling at the worst possible time in the season. ## Castillo out of immediate plans Trade deadline acquisition Luis Castillo has pitched his way out of the team's immediate rotation plans, forcing reliance on rookie David Sandlin. ## Ten games remain in tight race The White Sox have 10 games left and are even with Cleveland in the loss column, holding a tiebreaker and a relatively soft closing schedule. ## Series loss doesn't define season yet Manager Will Venable believes the tough Cleveland series won't determine how the rest of the season plays out, with plenty of baseball still ahead. > We knew that this series wasn't going to define how the end of this year goes for us. A lot can happen. ## Key takeaway The White Sox lost their AL Central lead for the first time since July 4th, exposing weaknesses in their lineup's ability to hit with runners in scoring position and their bullpen's recent struggles.