CHICAGO -- The time around June 26-27 has had special meaning for Chad Kuhl and his wife Amanda.

It was on June 26, 2016 when Kuhl made his Major League debut for the Pirates against the Dodgers. On June 27, 2022, while pitching for the Rockies against the Dodgers, the right-hander threw a 102-pitch shutout.

So, it seems only fitting Kuhl started for the White Sox on Thursday, on June 27, 2024, in a surprising 1-0 victory over the Braves at Guaranteed Rate Field. Surprising, only because the White Sox (22-61) entered this rescheduled contest from April 3 on a four-game losing streak and using a bullpen day, against Atlanta ace Chris Sale (10-3), whose name ranks high up in the record books for numerous South Side pitching categories.

Kuhl got things going with three strikeouts over three-plus innings, and four pitchers behind him completed the job behind a two-out, first-inning solo home run from Luis Robert Jr. It was the first time the White Sox grabbed a 1-0 victory on a solo homer since Sept. 23, 2023 at Boston, when Robert Jr. homered in the ninth. And it was the first time at home since Aug. 10, 2018 when Daniel Palka hit a walkoff home run.

To be honest, life is good for Chad and Amanda beyond these special late June dates. Amanda is in remission after battling breast cancer and was at Thursday’s game with their son, Hudson, watching from a second-level suite down the left-field line.

“We are very thankful obviously,” Amanda told MLB.com after her husband finished his outing. “The past year has been tumultuous to say the least. We are very thankful to be back in the Majors, very thankful for the White Sox to take us on. I’m just so glad to see him back where he belongs, where he loves to be, and just doing his thing.”

Amanda, who is now 31, was 30 years old when she was diagnosed. They were talking about baby No. 2, talking about expanding their family, and her OBGYN felt a lump during a visit. She had no idea the lump was there, but even with the discovery, the Kuhls hoped it was something coming from Amanda breastfeeding their son.

Instead, it ended up being cancerous. Amanda was grateful her doctor found it, as it could have become a lot worse. The Kuhls also made her diagnosis and ensuing treatment public so Amanda could alert women of all ages, but especially younger women, of this cancer possibility.

“If I could have helped any, if I could have helped one person with my story, I would have been happy,” Amanda said. “But I know that people have commented and messaged me that they’ve gotten a mammogram done just because of my story.

“They weren’t checking themselves regularly. They were young and then they started checking themselves and they now know they are normal. It helps just to get my story out there that cancer doesn’t discriminate, breast cancer doesn’t discriminate based on age. Young people can get it and it can be scary.”

Chad joined the White Sox on a Minor League deal and a non-roster invite to Spring Training, making 13 appearances with Triple-A Charlotte before joining the White Sox on June 13. He made his White Sox debut on June 16 in Arizona, and they took a memorable family picture on the field after his 2 2/3 innings of work vs. the D-backs.

Jared Shuster (1-0) earned the victory with three scoreless innings Thursday, as Michael Kopech completed things in the ninth, earning his sixth save. But it was Kuhl who threw 49 pitches in his first start since April 29, 2023 with Washington against Pittsburgh, following the 99 pitches he threw in relief Sunday in Detroit. It was a good day for the Kuhl family among the countless they’ve recently had.

“Oh, we are on top of the world right now. We are just honestly thankful to be here,” Amanda said. “We are just happy with everything. Being in good health and being back in the Majors literally everything is just icing on the cake at this point. … I just love seeing Hudson, he loves watching baseball. I love being back in the baseball world and getting to watch Chad do what he does”.

“You never know how long you are going to be able to be blessed to play Major League Baseball,” Chad said. “It just means the world to have those guys here and just be back to normal.”