White Sox top Cubs in soggy matchup |
SCOTTSDALE - When you look at the Cactus League's weather this Spring, it may go down as the nicest Spring Training in quite some time. Sure, the conditions are dry, but without any rain, all games have been played on time.
That was until Friday when Mother Nature finally watered down some baseball, forcing the Cubs and White Sox to not only start late but also end one inning early. In the process, the Prospect Breakout game that was supposed to take place in Mesa was rained out, and with no intention of making that up, it does sting a bit. With Jordan Wicks on the mound for the Cubs against Chris Flexen, it was all about the pitching, as both men were able to keep their opposition in check most of the day. Despite five runs in the first three innings, that was it in terms of the offense, as the White Sox found a way to end the Cubs' winning streak 3-2. Although Craig Counsell has yet to name the fifth starter, judging by how Wicks pitched this Spring, we can safely assume he has to be the favorite to win the job. Wicks continued to do his job on the mound as the Cubs stretched him out to five innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two. His ERA sits at 2.60 for the Spring as he continues to be the most consistent starter. Opposing him was Flexen who is hoping to earn a spot in the White Sox rotation this season in an effort to rejuvenate his career. Like Wicks, Flexen had to battle through some early trouble, but still managed to limit the damage as he allowed two runs in four innings to bring his ERA down to 2.00. Looking to get things rolling in the first, the Cubs had Flexen on the ropes as a Dansby Swanson single, and Garrett Cooper walked and put a pair of runners on. Flexen was able to work around that jam to keep the Cubs off the board, but that couldn't be said in the second, as the Cubs got on the scoreboard first. All it took was Alexander Canario to rip a one-out double to set the Cubs offense up. Doubles were the theme of the second inning, as Brennen Davis and Miles Mastrobuoni delivered a pair of two-out RBI doubles to put the Cubs in front 2-0. That would be it offensively for the Cubs, as their offense struggled for the first time in over a week. It was nice to see the Cubs strike first, but their lead was short-lived as the White Sox started to make Wicks pay on the mound. That started with a leadoff walk to Andrew Vaughn, and the Paul DeJong homer brought things back to even 2-2. Wicks allowed a Kevin Pillar single following that homer, but the White Sox were unable to tack on. With Flexen still pitching well for the Sox, Wicks found himself in trouble again in the bottom half of the third, as you could make a case that this was his worst start this Spring. Another leadoff base runner set the tone for the inning as Andrew Benintendi connected for a leadoff single. On the verge of escaping without damage, Vaughn capped off the scoring and put the White Sox on top for good as his RBI double put the Sox in front 3-2. At this point in the game, both starters were taking over, as neither team could generate much of anything offensively until the top of the sixth when the Cubs were looking to retake the lead. With Deivi Garcia on the mound for the Sox, a one-out single from Miguel Amaya got things rolling for the Cubs while the Alexander Canario walk put the tying run in scoring position. Garcia would keep things there, as his inning-ending double play kept the Sox in front, and Mark Leiter Jr. took over for the Cubs. Leiter did his job with a scoreless sixth, as did Colten Brewer in the seventh, as the Cubs continued to trail 3-2 entering the eighth. With Tanner Banks still on the bump for the Sox, the Cubs tried to keep things interesting as they began to rally once again. This time, it was all about patience, as walks by Parker Chavers and Bryce Windham once again put the tying run in scoring position with two outs. As was the case all game long, the Cubs were unable to capitalize on that opportunity, as the game ended shortly after with the Sox taking down the Cubs 3-2. Chicago outhit the Sox 7-4 in the loss and now gets set for another Split Squad game on Saturday. For the best fans in baseball, we sign autographs rain or shine! 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/EpS01ElyKd
Due to inclement weather in the area, today’s #Cubs Spring Breakout game will start in a delay.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 15, 2024
The autograph session, originally scheduled for after the game, will now begin at 2:05 p.m. MST in the Sloan Park concourse.
The game is currently scheduled to start following the… pic.twitter.com/J4IHwWrwYd
