White Sox’s Montgomery back to business after the All-Star break

ARLINGTON, Texas — Colson Montgomery tried to make the most of the All-Star break.

“I’m not saying I needed the All-Star break, but the All-Star break can also be a very good refresher, mentally and stuff, so I felt like it was pretty good for all of us,” the Chicago White Sox shortstop said Sunday in Toronto. “But I think for me too, it was one of those things that you kind of just get a couple days, kind of reset, and I thought it was good for me, and I feel really good coming out of break.”

It showed during the weekend series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

He singled and scored to jump-start the five-run second inning in Friday’s 12-4 win. And after the Blue Jays scored twice to get within three runs, Montgomery created some distance by knocking in three with a double in the fifth inning.

Sunday, he collected the team’s first hit with a one-out single in the fourth inning that advanced Miguel Vargas from first to third base. Vargas later scored on a sacrifice fly, the first run in a 3-0 victory.

Montgomery then hit his 24th home run of the season, a solo blast, in the sixth inning.

“He did a great job, got a hanging splitter there and finally got one to hit,” Sox manager Will Venable said after Sunday’s game. “Some really good (splitters) and fastballs from (Blue Jays starter Trey) Yesavage. It was a tough assignment, but Colson grinded it out, stuck with it and obviously a big way to start things.”

It was his 45th career home run, the most by a Sox player in his first 165 career games.

Montgomery extended a solid stretch that began before the break. He is slashing .267/.313/.511 (12-for-45) with three home runs, eight RBIs and eight runs scored over his last 11 games through Sunday.

“I’ve come to realize that I’m not sure how to characterize where Colson’s at, that there are some at-bats where he looks maybe out of sync, and then in the same game, he’s hitting the game-winning homer,” Venable said before Monday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. “So I think that Colson is in a great spot, and he’s doing what he’s doing, which is getting big hits for us and driving in runs. So, yeah, he looks good up there.”

Montgomery entered Monday first among major-league shortstops in home runs, third in RBIs (57), fourth in slugging (.477) and sixth in OPS (.784) and weighted runs created plus (115). And while he was in the conversation, Montgomery did not receive a nod for the All-Star Game.

He agreed when asked on Sunday if that served as motivation.

“As it should,” Montgomery said. “As a competitor, you should see yourself as the best, because if you don’t, you’re just selling yourself short and you’re not really giving yourself the inner confidence that you need to play this game, especially with how much it can just beat you down.

“So, I mean, of course I thought I should have been, but obviously, it didn’t work out, and all I can do now is just respond. I take that as like a little chip on my shoulder, I guess.”

Venable added on Monday, “If that’s something that you can use for motivation, then that’s great. There are still lots of awesome awards you can go out and win by having a really good second half here, and he’s already done so much for us this year. So you don’t have to put extra pressure on yourself, but if that’s something out there that can give him an extra boost and put that chip on his shoulder, that’s great.”

The team goals are the biggest driver. And Montgomery sees an entire club filled with determination. The Sox came into Monday with a one-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central.

“We’re a good team, we’ve had success and we’re very confident in ourselves,” Montgomery said. “And I think that’s what’s most dangerous about a team, especially a young team, is when they’re confident, and I feel like that’s where it can kind of get dangerous.

“So I think we all have a chip on our shoulder just because we want to keep proving everyone wrong and prove ourselves right from spring training. This is what we expected.”