The White Sox spent this week getting hit from every angle. They were walked off on consecutive nights, blanked in a makeup game against Atlanta, and then tagged for 10 runs by a Mets club sitting well below .500. All of that came during a brutal 16-game stretch, which left Chicago’s pitching staff running on fumes.
That reality shaped the North Side portion of the Crosstown Classic, even if Will Venable wouldn’t spell it out that way. When asked what the plan was for the Cubs series, he said there wasn’t one. There almost certainly was a plan, and it turned out to be the opener approach.
Bryan Hudson got the ball in Tuesday’s game after a loss that began and ended with Pete Crow-Armstrong home runs. Hudson was hit for two homers in the first inning, then handed the game to Erick Fedde, who covered 4 2/3 scoreless innings. It still wasn’t enough, because Huascar Brazobán’s one-third of an inning ended up costing Fedde the win and set up Alex Bregman’s walk-off in the ninth.
The next night, Sean Newcomb opened again at Wrigley. He lasted one inning longer than Hudson had the day before, keeping things scoreless before giving way to the bulk reliever.
That version worked much better for Chicago. José Urquidy threw six innings, struck out eight Cubs, and helped deliver a 3-0 win to keep the Sox from being swept.
Sometimes the older arms still find a little extra. It’s useful when they can flash it between the outings that say otherwise.
The White Sox didn’t exactly launch the ball all over the place this week, but they still finished with 10 home runs, trailing only the Cubs with 15 and the Orioles with 11. The Cubs did plenty of the damage early, with five homers across Monday and Tuesday, including three from Crow-Armstrong.
That matched the number of home runs the White Sox hit in the entire series. The simplest solution might have been the most obvious one: just put him on base.
There was also Munetaka Murakami’s Mune Bomb at Wrigley, a shot that added another jolt to a rivalry that has started to feel alive again. For once, the Cubs and White Sox are competitive at the same time, and that has made the trash talk feel a lot more real. Fans and players both seem locked into it.
The season series finished 3-3, with half of the games decided by one run. Across those six matchups, 22 balls left the yard. If both clubs make it to October, Chicago could be in for a loud month.
Before the Cubs games and after the Mets series came a lone matchup with Atlanta, a makeup for the June 11 rainout. Back in June, the White Sox had already taken the first two games from the NL East leaders, so Thursday offered a shot at a sweep.
Instead, Chicago managed just one hit and two walks in a 2-0 loss. Anthony Kay was sharp, going six innings, allowing two runs, and striking out six, but Grant Holmes was even better, taking a no-hitter deep into the game.
Friday brought a different kind of game. Sean Burke started and, unlike the opener-heavy approach elsewhere this week, worked the full six innings. He allowed the only four runs in the White Sox’s win, but that was enough to let Chicago battle back on consecutive home runs from Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery.
Vargas kept rolling. The third baseman hit .381/.581/.619 on the week, with two doubles and a homer.
He also drew at least one walk in every game except Tuesday, and on Saturday he went 1-for-1 with four walks. He led MLB this week with 10 walks, the only player to reach double digits.
Sunday ended the way a few of these games did this week: with a blast. Jake Rogers sent a homer over the right-field fence to avoid extra innings and win it on Elvis Night. The fan who was seen celebrating after losing the contents of her purse while chasing down Rogers’ ball later said from the train that she got everything back in her bag, and she reunited with Rogers on Sunday when the home run ball was returned.
Luis Castillo had a rough stretch as well. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings against the Cubs on Monday, then went even shorter against the Mets, covering just 2 2/3 innings in Saturday’s 10-5 loss.
He gave up four earned runs on eight hits, with one walk and three strikeouts. The White Sox needed more from the trade deadline addition than highlight moments; at the very least, they needed him to eat innings.
So far, he hasn’t managed that. In four starts with Chicago, he has gotten through the fifth inning only once, in his seven-inning outing against the Reds.
Sunday’s opener formula worked again. Newcomb handled the first two innings, Fedde followed with four scoreless frames, and the bullpen stayed out of the picture until the seventh. Tristan Peters then ended it with a walk-off home run, giving the opener plan two of the week’s wins.
Now the White Sox turn to three games against the Texas Rangers before an off-day. They finished Sunday 3 1/2 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians, who went 5-1 this week. Cleveland’s slide looks temporary, which means Chicago can’t afford to ease up.
In Other News...
White Sox Deadline Haul Is Already Turning Into A Chris Getz Problem
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Joey Barts broken hand only added to the sense that this group has not given the White Sox the lift they were after. For Chris Getz, the problem is bigger than a few bad outings, because these were deadline additions meant to help now and instead have become part of the teams recent struggles. The sample is still small, but the early trend has been hard to ignore, and it leaves Chicago waiting for some sign that this haul can start paying off. [Read more 🡒]
Rikuu Nishida Just Got Another Shot To Make White Sox Notice
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For now, the stay looks temporary. Benintendi is expected to miss the rest of the Rangers series, with a possible return lined up for the next stop in Minnesota, so Nishidas window is narrow and the challenge is clear: make enough of an impression in a short burst to stay on the radar when Chicago has to make another roster call. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Land A Proven Arm If Toronto Changes Course
The September waiver deadline is creeping closer, and that has put a familiar name back into the conversation for teams still looking for pitching help. For the White Sox, the idea is straightforward enough: if Toronto makes a different kind of decision on Shane Bieber, Chicago could have a chance to add a proven arm with the kind of track record that still carries real value even after injury setbacks.
Bieber has recently looked solid, which only adds to the intrigue around his status as the Blue Jays stay in the playoff race. For the White Sox, the appeal is less about chasing a splash and more about staying alert for an opportunity that might not last long, especially with a pitcher of Biebers caliber potentially becoming available only if Toronto changes course. [Read more 🡒]