CHICAGO — The Cubs fans who flocked to Rate Field on Friday night did what they could to make their presence known. The backdrop was different and the hometown rivalry revved up the atmosphere, but the chants when Pete Crow-Armstrong stepped to the plate in the seventh inning were familiar.
As the North Side supporters unleashed a loud, repeated cry of “P-C-A!” — drowning out boos from White Sox fans — Crow-Armstrong ripped a pitch from left-hander Bryan Hudson into right field for an RBI single. In the latest entry into this long-running crosstown clash, it was the Cubs’ revitalized offense that stole the show en route to a 10-5 win.
“It’s just a cool little rivalry,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I love seeing the Cubs fans in there and staying to the last out. It’s a blast. I love it.”
The offensive showing in the opener of this three-game set on the South Side came after the Cubs managed just five total runs in their previous five games on the road against the Rangers and Braves. That followed a 25-game run in which the North Siders scored an average of 6.2 runs per game and rattled off 21 wins to seize first place in the National League Central.
Moisés Ballesteros snapped out of an 0-for-26 slump with a single in the fourth that set up an RBI single from Carson Kelly, who knocked in four in the win. Seiya Suzuki put a stop to his 0-for-17 drought with an RBI double in the fifth that chased White Sox starter Sean Burke from the game. Dansby Swanson ended his 0-for-18 skid with a leadoff double in the eighth and came around to score later via a wild pitch.
“I know it’s been a little bit light the last four or five days,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “But we played a really good offensive game all around. We made it hard every at-bat, it felt like. We made it hard on them. A bunch of hits. Walks. The baserunning was really good. It was a very good offensive night.”
In all, the Cubs churned out 14 hits in the win — after collecting 19 total in the previous five games. All nine players in the Cubs’ starting lineup contributed at least one hit and 10 players in all reached base at least once.
This marked the eighth time that the Cubs have enjoyed a game with at least 10 runs and 14 hits against the White Sox, but the first on the South Side since a 12-5 win on May 8, 2014.
“With keeping expectations realistic, this is something that we look to do every day,” Crow-Armstrong said. “We know that a day like today is exactly what this offense is capable of. I think the nice part was the first-inning run. Just getting the game started like that is always great.”
Ian Happ (RBI single in the first) and Michael Busch (RBI double in the fifth) also got in on the action, helping overcome a shaky outing from Cubs righty Edward Cabrera (three runs allowed with three walks and two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings).
White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas’ leadoff homer in the sixth off Cubs lefty Ryan Rolison pulled the game into a 4-4 deadlock and then the South Siders put two more runners aboard. Cubs righty Trent Thornton took over and escaped the jam, allowing the Cubs’ offense to get back to work in the seventh.
“That was a huge effort,” Counsell said of Thornton. “It’s not the ninth inning, so it doesn’t seem like a save. But that’s a save.”
After singles from Alex Bregman and Suzuki, the Cubs loaded the bases with two outs against Hudson when the reliever hit Matt Shaw with a pitch. Kelly followed with an infield single up the third-base line, where it was deemed fair as Vargas could not corral it cleanly. Crow-Armstrong then delivered his run-scoring hit to push the Cubs’ lead to 6-4.
The Cubs then blew things open with a four-run flurry in the eighth. Following Swanson’s double, White Sox righty Jordan Hicks labored with his command, issuing four walks, including one to Shaw with the bases loaded. Kelly then came through with a two-run ground-rule double to pad the Cubs’ cushion.
For the first night of this renewed rivalry, the Cubs fans had the bragging rights.
“This is a great series for the fans. That’s what this is to me,” Counsell said. “Your mom and your dad might be rooting for different teams, right? Or, your in-laws might be rooting for different teams. Your friends are rooting for different teams. This is a fans’ series – that’s what makes this fun.”
