WASHINGTON (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections, the Chicago White Sox weathered a furious late-inning rally by the Washington Nationals to secure a 10-9 victory on Friday night at Nationals Park.

The game, played before a crowd of 33,938 in 2 hours and 54 minutes, was a stark contrast to the low-scoring contest anticipated by oddsmakers. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 3-1 Nationals win, with Washington holding a 55.7 percent probability of victory as a -1.5 favorite. The teams instead combined for 19 runs, easily surpassing the over/under line of 8.5.

The White Sox (59-101) ambushed Nationals starter Cade Cavalli in the top of the first inning, capitalizing on early defensive miscues to plate four runs. The inning began with Chase Meidroth reaching on a fielding error by first baseman Josh Bell. After a single by Kyle Teel and a throwing error by shortstop CJ Abrams, Miguel Vargas drove in the first run with a line-drive single to right field. Brooks Baldwin then cleared the bases with a two-run double, and Lenyn Sosa followed with an RBI single to stake Chicago to an early 4-0 lead.

Washington (65-95) answered with a solo home run from Josh Bell, his 22nd of the season, in the bottom of the first, but the White Sox continued to build their lead. Sosa extended the advantage in the fourth inning with a solo shot of his own, his 22nd, to left-center field. Later in the inning, Teel added an RBI single to make it 6-1.

Chicago added two more runs in the fifth in an unusual fashion. After a single by Vargas and a walk to Edgar Quero, Sosa continued his productive night with an RBI double. Will Robertson then hit a fly ball to right field that resulted in a sacrifice double play, with Quero scoring but Sosa being thrown out at third base, pushing the score to 8-1.

The Nationals began their comeback in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homer from Luis García Jr., but the real damage came in the sixth. CJ Abrams led off with a homer, and after a double by Daylen Lile, García Jr. connected for his second home run of the game, a two-run blast that cut the deficit to 8-5.

Washington’s bullpen quieted the Chicago offense through the seventh and eighth innings, setting the stage for a dramatic bottom of the eighth. Facing White Sox relievers, the Nationals erupted for four runs to take the lead. Abrams walked and Bell singled before Lile launched a three-run homer to right-center field, tying the game at 8-8. The very next batter, García Jr., completed the onslaught by hitting his third home run of the contest, a solo shot that gave Washington its first lead at 9-8.

Just three outs from a stunning defeat, the White Sox mounted a comeback of their own in the top of the ninth against Nationals reliever Jose A. Ferrer. After Meidroth grounded out, Teel reached base on a fielding error by Ferrer. Colson Montgomery then stepped up and delivered the decisive blow, crushing a two-run home run to right-center field, his 20th of the year, to put Chicago back on top 10-9.

White Sox closer Grant Taylor entered in the bottom of the ninth and immediately allowed a single to Nasim Nuñez. But Taylor settled in, getting James Wood to line out to center field before striking out both Abrams and pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro to end the game and seal the victory.

Fraser Ellard earned the win for Chicago, improving to 1-2, while Ferrer took the loss for Washington, falling to 4-4. Taylor recorded his sixth save of the season.

Sosa was the offensive standout for the White Sox, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Baldwin drove in two runs, while Teel and Montgomery each had two RBIs. For the Nationals, García Jr.’s three-homer, four-RBI performance led the 13-hit attack. Lile also homered and drove in three runs.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the White Sox, who had been swept by the New York Yankees in their previous series. The Nationals saw a two-game winning streak come to an end.

The two teams are scheduled to continue their three-game series on Saturday and Sunday at Nationals Park to conclude the 2025 regular season for both clubs.