White Sox Stumble to 12th Straight Loss in Dramatic Crosstown Classic Opener

The first game of the Crosstown Classic kicked off at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night, and the Chicago White Sox walked away losers of their 12th straight game. The club continues to lose games in the same fashion, with shoddy management and poor performance of their bullpen. Not to be outdone, poor execution in the field and on the bases aided the South Sider's losing efforts.

Pale Hose starter Chris Flexen cruised through his rain-interrupted five-inning start, allowing only one run on three hits while issuing no walks and fanning four. The offense staked him to an early lead with five runs in the fourth, tying a season-high for runs scored in an inning.

Think 5-0 Will Hold?

With the help of Cubs third baseman Chris Morel's fielding miscue, Paul DeJong plated Andrew Vaughn for the game's first run.

With runners on second and third, Korey Lee doubled to left field to clear the bases, and Lenyn Sosa capped off the rally with a two-run homer.

It marked the fourth consecutive game where the Sox held a lead.

The game took a turn in the fifth inning when the Cubs managed to score their only run of the game off of Flexen. After a 42-minute rain delay, the Cubs came back strong with doubles by Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson, putting them on the board and setting the stage for a potential comeback.

Rain Delayed Rally

White Sox skipper Pedro Grifol went to his rested bullpen to protect the four-run lead in the sixth. Justin Anderson pitched in relief of Flexen and surrendered a two-out, two-run homer to Morel to cut the deficit to two.

Tanner Banks relieved Anderson, and the game was tied two batters later. Happ greeted him with a single, and pinch hitter Patrick Wisdom belted a homer.

However, the White Sox took another turn on the seesaw and reclaimed the lead in the seventh. Luis Robert Jr., playing for the first time since April 5th , blasted a solo homer 448 feet to center field.

Cubs Capitalize

The game quickly tilted back in favor of the Cubs in the bottom half of the eighth. Rookie reliever Jordan Leasure took over for John Brebbia, who pitched a flawless seventh inning with the help of a defensive gem by Gavin Sheets.

Cody Bellinger reached base on a one-out walk and advanced to second on Morel's infield hit.

On a potential double-play ground ball, White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong couldn't get a handle on the baseball, and his glove flip was not in time for second base.

Heartbreak Happ

That set the stage for Happ to strike again with his third hit and second double of the game. The left fielder's liner to right field bounced off the wall and cleared the bases, putting the Cubs ahead for good.

The potential tying run reached base in the ninth when Oscar Colas walked. Recently called-up rookie Duke Ellis pinch-ran for the White Sox outfielder and quickly stole second base.

However, a back pick by Hector Neris caught Ellis off the bag for the inning's second out. Corey Julks fouled out to end the game.

News and Notes

The White Sox made a slew of roster moves before the game. The team placed Tommy Pham and Dominic Fletcher on the IL. They recalled Zach DeLoach, activated Robert Jr. from the injured list, and purchased Duke Ellis' contract from Double-A Birmingham.

The club designated infielder Zach Remillard for assignment to make room for Ellis on the 40-man roster.

Starting pitcher Garrett Crochet is the subject of trade rumors , with the San Diego Padres reportedly interested in acquiring the lefty.

Former White Sox prospect Jose Rodriguez received a one-year suspension for gambling.

What's On Tap Next?

Once again, the White Sox will try to end their losing ways and return to the win column. Erick Fedde will toe the rubber for the South Siders at Wrigley Field against the Cubs Jameson Taillon. First pitch is at 7:05 PM CT and will air on both NBC Sports Chicago and The Marquee Network.

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