South Siders are silenced again
The Chicago Cubs have won their World Series, taking the third game of this series against the Chicago White Sox, 6-2. What started out as a competitive game early on quickly unraveled, and a team that is 14-33 quickly showed why.
The White Sox threatened in the first inning after Chase Meidroth started off the game with a double. He advanced to third on a short fly out, but was thrown out at home trying to score on a sacrifice fly, as Seiya Suzuki had a perfect throw to the plate for the third out.
The Cubs got on the board early as Pete Crow-Armstrong started off the game with a triple, and actually scored on the sacrifice fly this time.
Miguel Vargas continued his hot streak with a solo shot to left in the top of the fourth inning. That home run was his fifth in the month of May, and third at Wrigley Field.
After the first inning run, Jonathan Cannon continued to shut down the Cubs lineup well into the game. The White Sox couldn’t help him out on the offensive side though, leaving runners on base continuously, which would go on to bite them. The unraveling started in the bottom of the sixth inning as Vidal Bruján started of the inning with a single, and Crow-Armstrong doubled him in. (Replay indicated rather clearly that Bruján beat the tag, but his hand passed over home plate, not touching the base.) Kyle Tucker reached base on a flubbed fly ball by Brooks Baldwin in left field and Josh Rojas let himself get outfoxed by Tucker on his slide into second, leaving runners on second and third with nobody out.
Brooks Baldwin drops the fly ball allowing Kyle Tucker to reach 2nd base safely! #BeHereForIt pic.twitter.com/z33X3bO0gy
— Baseball’s Office (@baseballsoffice) May 18, 2025
That would be the end of the line for Cannon, as he had a great day but was not supported by the offense. The righthander picked up the loss after five innings, four hits, three earned runs, and three strikeouts.
A Suzuki sacrifice fly scored the third run for the Cubs, and Michael Busch singled in another to make it a 4-1 ballgame. The Cubs scored again in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Brandon Eisert after a Nico Hoerner one-out double, and a Bruján single to bring him in.
Tensions were high and benches were warned in the middle of the eighth inning as old enemy Brad Keller (yes, I guess he plays for the Cubs) came in to pitch and plunked Miguel Vargas. Vargas wasn’t happy with it, and given Keller’s history (all the way back to and before Tim Anderson and STICK TALK) we’ll take the White Sox side of this debate.
Hoerner doubled in another run in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Cubs, extending the lead to 6-1. The White Sox finally decided to show up, but the top of the ninth was too late as Luis Robert Jr. doubled to start the inning, Lenyn Sosa singled, and Edgar Quero had an RBI ground out. That would be it, as the game ended 6-2.
Even though we know the difference between the teams is night and day, it would have been nice to at least pick up one at Wrigley. Crow-Armstrong certified himself as a new White Sox killer, and the Cubs now lead the all time regular season interleague play series, 75-74.
The South Siders will return to the Rate tomorrow, as the Seattle Mariners come to town. Davis Martin will be on the mound for a 6:40 p.m. CT start time.
Futility Watch
White Sox 2025 Record 14-33, tied for worst start in White Sox history and tied for the 46th-worst start in baseball history. A 14-33 record projects to 48-114 over a full season. A year ago, the record-breaking White Sox also were 14-33.
All-Time White Sox Record (1901-2025, 19,253 games) 9,608-9,645 (.4990). It’s been 91 games since the White Sox had an all-time winning record.
Record Since the New Pope Was Revealed as a White Sox Fan 4-5
- Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2024 White Sox, 41-121)
- Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120-1, finished three percentage points worse than the 2024 White Sox)
- Race to the Most White Sox Losses (2024, 121)
- Race to the Worst White Sox Record (2024, 41-121)
7 games better, in all cases
Race to the Worst Post-1899 Record (1916 A’s, 38-124 adjusted to 162 games) 10 games better