Crosstown Classic: Takeaways as the White Sox walk off the Cubs to win the series
Mune Mania: 1-on-1 with the White Sox superstar | Toyota Talks
On this week's Toyota Talks, Tina Nguyen goes 1-on-1 with White Sox superstar Munetaka Murakami. They chat about the transition from Japan to the United States, adjusting to MLB pitching and Mune's relationship with manager Will Venable. Also, Mune explains how much fun he's having on this White Sox team and whether his teammates have tried the bidets.
The Crosstown Classic saved its best fireworks for Sunday's series finale.
Tristan Peters played the hero. He smacked a three-run home run. Michael Conforto played the hero, too. He smacked his own three-run home run.
The tension was high. The series was on the line.
This was a moment the White Sox and their fans had been waiting for after enduring a two-year rebuild with few benchmark moments to show for it.
The White Sox have one now. It came against the Cubs.
For the first time since 2022, the Chicago White Sox have won a series against the Chicago Cubs.
Here are our takeaways from Game 3 of the Crosstown Classic.
This was the White Sox’s moment
The Cubs were built to contend. The White Sox were built to contend eventually.
None of that mattered on Sunday because the White Sox have been surging in May. They got past .500 and had a chance to prove their rise was for real against the Cubs.
That set up the drama.
Tied at 4-4 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Tristian Peters stood in the box with two runners on. He mashed a slider from Phil Maton to give the White Sox their first lead of the day with a three-run home run to put the Southsiders up 7-4.
That set up Michael Conforto in the top of the ninth. His three-run shot off Ser Anthony Dominguez tied the game at 7-7. When was the last time this game had theater this great with stakes this high?
With all that surrounding the White Sox, Edgar Quero, who had been struggling with the highs and lows at the plate, ended the game.
The White Sox won the game 9-8 on Quero's walk-off two-run home run.
It’s a massive win for a White Sox team that’s proving it’s a winning team. Manager Will Venable’s team has its moment.
The Crosstown Classic officially has the juice
Game 1 was a five-run win for the Cubs. Game 2 was a five-run win for the White Sox. Game 3 was tied going into the eighth inning.
The anticipation was there. The electricity was there. There was energy the Crosstown Classic hasn’t had in a long time.
This was the first time both teams were playing each other over .500 since 2008. Both Chicago teams made the playoffs that season.
While we’re a long way away from predicting the playoffs for both teams, especially the White Sox, but this series was a good watch for both teams. Especially since it gave both teams tense situational baseball.
In a 4-4 tie with two outs and two runners on in the top of the eighth, Bryan Hudson faced Michael Busch.
Busch homered to put the Cubs ahead to start the game. The White Sox rallied back to tie the game.
Hudson got Busch to fly out to center, and the Rate Field fans gave him an ovation. A win apiece for both teams and a Game 3 that had Chicago on the edge of its seats in the final three innings is what the doctor ordered for the city and for both teams.
The Cubs get to battle adversity in a high-pressure rivalry series. The young White Sox get to taste meaningful baseball in May. It’s the good stuff.
Sunday was a reminder the White Sox aren’t whole yet
Erick Fedde deserves credit for powering through a blister on his throwing hand. The 33-year-old veteran is holding the back end of the rotation for the Southsiders.
However, his over-10 ERA in the first inning of games is a reminder that the team is still in transition.
Fedde is an important veteran to have. He’s a former first-round pick who has been playing professional baseball for over 10 years. With players like Drew Thorpe, Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz expected to be in the future plans for the team, it’s imperative to have a figure that can help guide the younger pitchers as they navigate early expectations.
Schultz is already in the majors. Thorpe is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Smith has a 3.90 ERA in nine starts in Triple-A. Fedde’s spot is far from guaranteed the rest of the season, especially on a one-year contract. But, the White Sox are in transition still.
Fedde’s spot isn’t the only one that’s far from guaranteed. Catcher Kyle Teel will be re-evaluated after tweaking his knee on his rehab assignment, but he’s going to be in the majors when he’s healthy.
Even the outfield is on Montgomery watch, as top-ranked outfield prospect Braden Montgomery has hit over .300 since his promotion to Triple-A Charlotte.
It’s a boon that the White Sox have learned how to sustain success in May. It’s important to remember that more younger players will have to learn that, too.