The Chicago White Sox have been one of the best stories in the MLB this season. The White Sox didn’t enter the season with major championship aspirations and were widely expected to use this season to establish a culture and lay the foundation for the future.
However, the Southsiders have exceeded all expectations. The Sox have two of the game’s brightest young stars in shortstop Colson Montgomery and first baseman Munetaka Murakami, and their prowess in the batter’s box has made the Sox one of the most dangerous offenses in the big leagues.
Surprisingly, after a slow start to the season on the mound, the White Sox’s arms have turned into one of the most consistent groups in the league.
Chicago entered the weekend’s series against their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs, right on the heels of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, and in possession of one of the AL’s Wild Card spots. Still, the Cubs, who are in first place in the ultra-competitive NL Central, were set to serve as a real barometer for how competitive the southsiders really are at this point in the year.
After a hard-fought but dissapointing series-opening loss on Friday night, the Sox responded with a dominant performance on Saturday evening, setting up Sunday’s rubber match.
The Cubs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning of the weekend’s third straight sellout game, but the Sox refused to go away. Tristan Peters blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the eigth ot take a 7-4 lead, only for Michael Conforto to respond with a three-run blast of his own. Despite a ninth-inning double from Murakami, the Sox failed to capitalize, setting up extras and setting the stage for one of the greatest games in the rivalry’s storied history.
Ultimately, the South Side was determined to prove that the Windy City belonged to it now. After allowing a run in the top of the tenth, Edgar Quero walked things off in the home half of the inning with a two-run bomb. It was a narrow win, but the White Sox proved two things: they’re a serious ball club, and the Windy City belongs to them until further notice.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.