The Sox and Cubs matched up Monday afternoon in a preview of this year’s Crosstown Classic, with the Cubs coming out victorious 15-9. Although the results weren’t there for many of the Sox’ young and inexperienced arms, their core bats continued to drive the ball hard and produce, a great sign as Spring Training culminates tomorrow and the regular season opens on Friday. The South Siders got out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings behind an Abreu RBI single, Anderson RBI single, and Robert 2-RBI double. New acquisition Vince Velasquez started the game, and he struck out five, but did give up two hits, two walks, and two earned runs in 2.1 IP. The Cubs exploded for six runs in the 3rd inning, gaining the lead and ultimately, never looking back. After an Eloy Jimenez solo shot in the 5th to cut the deficit to one run, the Cubs scored seven unanswered and cruised to victory. Andrew Vaughn chipped in with an RBI single in the 7th, and utility-man Danny Mendick added a solo shot in the 8th.
As mentioned above, the key takeaway is the production from the core bats and their ability to continuously drive in runs. Anderson, Robert, Abreu, Jimenez, and Vaughn combined for 10 hits and 6 RBIs, a welcomed sight for Sox fans. It will be exciting to watch this lineup attack opposing pitchers on a daily basis. The darkness and emptiness of this off-season’s lockout will feel like a distant memory come Friday afternoon.
Cubs 15, White Sox 9
W: Drew Smyly (1-0) | L: Lincoln Henzman (0-1)
Box Score:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Highlights:
Top 1st: Abreu singles to left. Tim Anderson scored. 1-0 White Sox
Top 2nd: Anderson singled to right center. Andrew Vaughn scored. 2-0 White Sox
Top 2nd: Robert doubled to left. Tim Anderson and Josh Harrison scored. 4-0 White Sox
Top 5th: Eloy Jiménez homered to left. 6-5 Cubs
Top 7th: Vaughn singled to center. Craig Dedelow scored. 13-6 Cubs
Top 8th: Xavier Fernández homered to center. 13-7 Cubs
Top 8th: Danny Mendick homered to center. 13-8 Cubs
Top 8th: Alex Destino singled to right. Gavin Sheets scored. 13-9 Cubs
White Sox Game Highlights:
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Featured Image: White Sox / Twitter
