CHICAGO (AP) — Keegan Thompson insisted he had more luck than good. Either way, the Chicago Cubs will take what he gave them.
Thompson outshot Johnny Cueto in five solid innings on a spot start, Frank Schwindel drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the Crosstown White Sox 5-1 on Saturday night.
Thompson (5-0) tied his longest outing of the season, giving up one run and five hits to the guaranteed rate fielder. The right-hander struck out four and scored one in his third start and 11th appearance.
Thompson felt he was in the strike zone and got away with throws that could have been hit hard. One time he didn’t was when Jake Burger homered.
“I felt like I was all over the place and not really hitting a ton of spots,” Thompson said. “I just got very lucky and missed every barrel.”
Cubs manager David Ross said Thompson would need a few days off after throwing a season-high 77 pitches. But with 10 games over the next eight days, he could be in line for another start during a busy period.
Schwindel capped a two-run first and two-run seventh with two-out RBI singles. His right shot in the seventh made it 5-1 and chased Cueto (0-1).
Patrick Wisdom also drove in two. Nico Hoerner had three hits and scored a run. The Cubs were aggressive at the plate and on the bases, and they emerged victorious after giving up their highest run total in 23 years in a 20-5 loss at Cincinnati two days earlier.
The White Sox, beaten by Boston 16-7 on Thursday, fell back below .500 at 22-23 with their third loss in four games.
Cueto allowed five runs and nine hits after going six scoreless innings against Kansas City and the New York Yankees in his first two starts for the South Siders.
“He gave us a chance to win,” manager Tony La Russa said. “Really good chance.”
GOING DEEP
Burger threw his second homer in three games when he joined Thompson in the fifth and finished with three hits. Center fielder Adam Engel robbed Willson Contreras of a home run in the Cubs’ ninth spot. But it was another frustrating game for the White Sox, especially at home plate.
La Russa said when the White Sox are patient, opposing pitchers throw strikes and take the lead in the count. When aggressive, they tend to chase throws.
“Damn it if you do and, anyway,” he said.
HIT EARLY
The White Sox had won seven of eight against the Cubs, including a two-game sweep at Wrigley Field May 3-4. But the North Siders struck early, scoring two goals in the first and another point in the second to take a 3-0 lead, only to extend their lead later.
“It was three quick points,” Hoerner said. “But firing them at the end was really huge.”
KEUCHEL CUP
The White Sox have designated left-hander Dallas Keuchel for an assignment. He was 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA in eight starts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: OF Seiya Suzuki (sprained left ring finger) was out of the lineup after leaving Thursday’s game. … The Cubs activated OF Clint Frazier (appendicitis) from the 10-day injured list. They also traded OF Michael Hermosillo (strained left quadriceps) to the 10-day IL and returned LHP Brandon Hughes to Triple-A Iowa.
White Sox: General manager Rick Hahn said he expects two players to be on the shortlist for the team’s three-game series in Toronto that begins Tuesday because they are unvaccinated. … OF Eloy Jiménez (right knee surgery) has started rehab with Triple-A Charlotte, although Hahn doesn’t expect him to return to the White Sox on their six-game trip to Toronto and Tampa Bay. … Hahn said OF Luis Robert is improving, though he doesn’t know if the Cuban star will return during the Blue Jays streak. He expects Robert to be ready when the White Sox visit Tampa Bay. … 3B Yoán Moncada (quad pain) was out of the lineup for the second game in a row, although La Russa said he was available to pinch and run.
NEXT
The two-game series ends with RHP Dylan Cease (4-2, 4.24 ERA) pitching for the White Sox against RHP Marcus Stroman (4-2, 4.71). Cease was beaten for seven points in Tuesday’s 16-3 loss to Boston.
___
More from APMLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Comments are closed.