BALTIMORE — Noah Schultz took a no-hitter into the fifth inning Tuesday in his return from the injured list, but the White Sox’ bats and bullpen wilted on a brutally hot day at Camden Yards.
With a 6-1 loss, the Sox missed out on a sweep of the Orioles as they move on to Cleveland for the most consequential series the South Siders have played since they were last legitimate contenders in 2022.
Sam Antonacci swatted a 388-foot home run on the second pitch of the game off Orioles starter Dean Kremer, but the right-hander didn’t allow another Sox baserunner until Braden Montgomery’s double with two outs in the fourth inning.
The rookie fell a couple feet shy of his third home run, and the Sox mustered only two other hits on an afternoon with oppressive humidity making it feel like 100 degrees under the Mid-Atlantic sun.
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— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) July 1, 2026
Schultz, making his first start in over a month after a bout of patellar tendinitis in his right knee, walked the first batter he faced but bounced back with two punchouts to leave the inning unscathed.
The Naperville native sailed until the fifth, which Tyler O’Neill led off with a solo homer. Manager Will Venable pulled Schultz after a walk and a single.
The O’s then loaded the bases against reliever Bryan Hudson, who served up an RBI single to Adley Rutschman and a sac fly to Taylor Ward. The inning spiraled further for reliever Trevor Richards, whose wild pitch let in a run.
Baltimore third baseman Blaze Alexander tagged Richards for an RBI triple the next inning, and Leody Taveras added a solo short off Sox reliever Brandon Eisert in the eighth.
But the Sox had already locked up their first road series win since early May to follow up a torrid stretch at home and a surprisingly successful run through the gauntlet against the top teams in baseball. They emerged 13-12 in June with matchups against the Phillies, Braves, Dodgers and Atlanta.
Now they head to Cleveland to tussle for control of the American League Central.
“If people are doubting us or thinking this is a fluke, I think all of that should be out of the window since we’re in July now,” shortstop Colson Montgomery said, amplifying the confidence that’s been exuded all year in a young clubhouse arriving ahead of schedule.
“It’s exactly where we want to be,” starter Erck Fedde said. “Everybody here believes that we can win a division. Everyone believes that this isn’t something that’s going to go away, and we have a lot of fun ballgames coming up.”
On deck
SOX AT GUARDIANS
Thursday: Davis Martin (9-3, 3.00 ERA) vs. Slade Cecconi (4-6, 4.18), 5:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Friday: Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.50) vs. Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.81), 6:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Saturday: Sean Burke (5-4, 3.69) vs. Parker Messick (7-5, 2.85), 6:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Sunday: Erick Fedde (3-6, 4.41) vs. Tanner Bibee (2-9, 3.69), 1 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN Extra, 1000-AM.