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The Chicago White Sox may be in the middle of a rebuild, but outfielder Andrew Benintendi reminded fans Wednesday that experience still matters. In the eighth inning of Chicago’s 9-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, Benintendi pulled off a jaw-dropping defensive play — robbing Bryce Harper of a three-run home run that would have given Philadelphia late momentum.
The highlight came with two outs in the top of the eighth inning and runners on first and third. Chicago reliever Matt Eisert delivered a 0-1 pitch that Harper crushed deep to left field. It looked destined to clear the fence. But Benintendi timed his leap, scaled the wall at Guaranteed Rate Field, and snagged the ball in midair — instantly becoming one of the biggest moments of the White Sox vs. Phillies series.
The official MLB account posted the moment on X (formerly known as Twitter), calling attention to the veteran’s timing and athleticism.
“Andrew Benintendi brought it back 😮”
Andrew Benintendi brought it back 😮 pic.twitter.com/cHDeV3hFrc
— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2025
The catch preserved a 9-2 lead and shut down Philadelphia’s final threat, providing a rare late-season highlight for a rebuilding Chicago club. It echoed Benintendi’s 2018 postseason heroics with the Boston Red Sox and served as a reminder of his Gold Glove-caliber presence in left field. Now 31-years-old and in the third season of a five-year, $75 million contract, he continues to provide veteran value — a timely boost with the MLB trade deadline less than 24 hours away.
Chicago erupted for seven runs in the seventh inning to blow the game open, with Lenyn Sosa, Miguel Vargas, and Edgar Quero each going deep to showcase the potential of the team’s emerging core. While the White Sox remain at 40-69 and are trending toward another 100-loss season, the win marked their eighth in the last 12 games — a modest but encouraging post-All-Star break surge.
Meanwhile, the Phillies dropped to 61-47, still firmly in the NL East race but showing signs of vulnerability. Harper’s season line — a .266 average with 15 home runs and an .868 OPS — remains solid, but he was denied a pivotal moment. A three-run homer would have cut the deficit to 9-5 heading into the ninth. Instead, Benintendi’s defensive gem closed the door.
