Windy City Wrap Up: Bregman Rakes While White Sox Flake

Hello Chicago sports fans! Late summer baseball has been heating up as the Cubs and White Sox stay in the playoff hunt, with October well on its way. The Bears season is right over the horizon, as are the Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs.

Following their last preseason game Aug. 29, the Bears finalized a trade that saw defensive tackle Gervon Dexter sent to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for cornerback Clark Philips III and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. After struggling against the run game last year, the Bears look to trim up and improve their defensive line.

The Bulls have an open roster spot and will look to sign a 15th man before they start their season on Oct. 21. They could be looking into picking up Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia. The 24-year-old would bring four seasons of experience to a Bulls team with one of the youngest rosters in the league.

National League (NL) Most Valuable Player contender and arguable favorite Pete Crow Armstrong was named the league’s player of the month for August. He recorded 14 home runs and 28 RBIs, while posting a combined on-base percentage and slugging percentage of 1.069 during the month of August.

The Cubs opened the week in a disappointing manner by losing their series against the Cincinnati Reds with a 7-5 loss in game three after splitting the first two games.

They started a four game series against divisional rivals Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 31. After a 17-3 game one win, capped by Alex Bregman’s three home run performance, they went on to lose 9-4 and 9-5 on Sept. 1 and 2, respectively. 

The Cubs managed 12 hits while allowing 27 hits between the two days. They split the series with a 2-1 win on Sept. 3, as Crow-Armstrong’s two-run homer provided the only run support for Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman’s nine strikeout game.

The White Sox missed out on a road series sweep by losing 5-1 to the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 30. They lost their four game series against the Houston Astros with scores of 3-6, 0-2 and 2-6 on Aug. 31, Sept 2 and 3, respectively. They did pull a victory out of their visit to Houston with a strong 5-1 win on Sept. 1. Colson Montgomery and Randal Grichuk led the way, getting two RBI’s each.

The Cubs saw action again on Sept. 4, 5 and 6, facing the Miami Marlins at home. They won the first meet up 6-1 and the second 6-5. First baseman Micheal Busch and designated hitter Micheal Conforto both registered home runs, while left fielder Ian Happ batted in three runs total. In a 10-3 loss on Sunday, Crow-Armstrong reached 40 home runs on the season with a two run shot.

The White Sox hosted the Twins Sept. 4, 5 and 6, winning a three game series 2-1. Third baseman Miguel Vargas, shortstop Colson Montgomery and right fielder Braden Montgomery each hit home runs to lift the Sox to a 4-1 win on Sept. 4 before falling 6-4 in part to a Catcher Ryan Jeffers three run homer in game two. They finished in a dominant fashion, using mostly small ball hitting and a group pitching effort to grab a 10-1 win Sept. 6.

The Fire played out a 4-4 thriller against Toronto FC on Saturday. U.S. Men’s National Team striker Josh Sargent bagged a hat-trick for Toronto while his opposite number striker Robert Lewandowski grabbed the Fire’s fourth. Right midfielder Maren Haile-Selassie scored a brace with his first, putting Chicago on the board. The Fire registered 11 shots to Toronto’s 16.

The Chicago Stars FC suffered a heavy defeat to the North Carolina Courage on Sept. 6, losing 6-0. The Courage’s left winger Ashley Sanchez scored three, including a penalty. The Stars sit at the bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League table with 16 points. 

The Cubs are now first in the wildcard standing and are still half a game in front of the Philadelphia Phillies and five in front of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Sox are two games in front of Cleveland in the American League Central, who they’ll play in an important road series Sept. 11 to Sept. 13.

The Fire sit third in the MLS Eastern Conference, five points behind Inter Miami and solidly in pursuit for a high playoff seed. They trail Nashville in first place by 15 points but have a game in hand.

They look forward to their matchup Sept. 9 against eastern conference rivals Inter Miami. Legendary forwards Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi will face off for the first time since the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The White Sox resume their series against the Pirates Sept. 9 before going on the road to face the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs will finish a three game series in Milwaukee, Wis. on the same day, then come back home to host the Pirates Sept. 11.

The Bears will open their season on Sept. 13 away against the Carolina Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT, and can be watched on FOX, CBS, or NFL+.