On Monday night, the White Sox offense put on a show in the first inning as the first five batters reached based against Cubs starter Yu Darish. Tim Anderson started the inning off with a lead-off double and would score as Yoan Moncada would follow with a single to center. The big hit came off the bat of Eloy Jimenez who crushed a grand slam to centerfield. The inning ended for the Cubs and Darvish after just two outs as he threw 29 pitches.
Due to the rules implemented for the exhibition games leading up to the start of the season on Friday, the bottom of the first inning didn’t end with an out, but with a James McCann single. The Cubs surrendered the inning as Darvish struggled as the first five White Sox hitters reached base before Luis Robert recorded the first out with a flyout. The fact that the inning ended due to a mercy rule only heightens the excitement that has been building for the White Sox explosive offense.
On Sunday night, the two teams played at Wrigley Field which was the highest watched White Sox game on NBC Sports Chicago in over eight years. The White Sox had a six-run fifth inning which featured doubles from newly acquired free agents Yasmani Grandal and Edwin Encarnacion. The highlight of the inning was the double off the center field wall by Robert.
The White Sox will begin their season against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. The Twins set an MLB record last season for home runs by a team with 307 long balls. The three game weekend series will be highly anticipated by White Sox fans due to what the team has done the last two nights against the Cubs. Although Monday’s game means nothing, the fact that the inning ended not due to a third out, but out of not wanting the inning to go any longer will live in memory of all Chicago baseball fans.
