Barstool Bush
Predictions

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs

By Bush StaffUpdated 4d ago·2 min read
Chicago White SoxCWS(65-58)
Chicago CubsCHC(72-53)
5—7
FINAL
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CWS
0003000200542
CHC
20002000127140

Luis Castillo and Shota Imanaga squared off in the series opener at 7:05 PM CT, two arms trending in opposite directions depending on which start you caught. Castillo walked in off a gem — 7 shutout innings and 10 strikeouts against the Reds — while Imanaga was still trying to shake a rough outing against the Nationals where the long ball got him again.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
White Sox(65-58)
WWWLW
5
Cubs(72-53)
LLWLW
7
Best BetWhite Sox +147
Postgame

Castillo couldn't hold the cushion this lineup built for him, and this one needed a walk-off to settle, not extra innings alone. Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong going deep in the 1st was the early warning, and once Chicago's pen let Crow-Armstrong beat them twice, the moneyline pick was dead. The White Sox actually did enough to win this one late, tying it right back up in the 9th, but couldn't finish it.

Pregame

The White Sox are priced as the underdog here, but they're the team playing like it matters right now — winners of 3 straight with their new trade-deadline arm dealing. Sharp money has stacked up on Chicago's South Side club early, and with Cubs' key pieces banged up, that price looks soft. Backing the White Sox to win outright is the value side of this card.

Both rosters were banged up in ways that mattered before first pitch. The White Sox are without both catchers on the injured list, and Chicago's rotation has already lost two starters to IL stints of its own. Across town, the Cubs lost shortstop Dansby Swanson and outfielder Matt Shaw to the injured list in the days before this one, thinning a lineup that had gaps to cover even before the bad news.

Luis Castillo
Luis Castillo
(4-9)·4.99 ERA
Aug 12 vs Reds
W
7.0IP
0ER
10K
2BB
104P
08/17 Lineup
Shota Imanaga
Shota Imanaga
(8-9)·3.77 ERA
Aug 11 @ Nationals
ND
4.2IP
4ER
5K
0BB
86P
08/17 Lineup

None of that made this a clean night for either side. The price tilted toward the road team coming off a winning stretch, and this game had no interest in settling early.

Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
(65-58)
Aug 16W@ Tigers7-5
Aug 15W@ Tigers4-3
Aug 14W@ Tigers9-5
Aug 13Lvs Reds8-9
Aug 12Wvs Reds5-0
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
(72-53)
Aug 16Lvs Cardinals4-11
Aug 15Lvs Cardinals4-8
Aug 14Wvs Cardinals3-0
Aug 13L@ Nationals0-7
Aug 12W@ Nationals12-6

Seiya Suzuki and Crow-Armstrong went deep back-to-back in the 1st inning to stake the Cubs to an early lead, but Castillo settled in and the White Sox clawed all the way back, plating 3 runs in the 4th to erase it. Chicago pushed back in front late when Andrew Benintendi took reliever Ryan Zeferjahn deep in the 8th, only for Nico Hoerner to tie it right back up with an RBI single in the bottom of the 9th. The teams traded zeroes until Crow-Armstrong ended it with his second homer of the night in the 10th, a walk-off that sent Wrigley into a frenzy.

Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
(11)
  • 10-Day-ILKyle Teel (C) — Teel (ankle) will participate in batting practice Monday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.08/17
  • 10-Day-ILJoey Bart (C) — White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Friday that Bart is expected to be sidelined for "over a month" due to a left hand fracture, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.08/07
  • 15-Day-ILDavis Martin (SP) — Martin was ejected from Thursday's start against the Reds in the third inning after hitting Sal Stewart with a pitch, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.08/14
  • 15-Day-ILChris Murphy (RP) — Murphy will serve as the White Sox's opener for Sunday's game against the Guardians, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.08/07
  • 60-Day-ILDrew Thorpe (SP) — Thorpe (elbow) struck out six and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks across five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte.08/13
  • 60-Day-ILJordan Leasure (RP) — Leasure (forearm) has resumed throwing bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.08/01
  • 60-Day-ILPrelander Berroa (RP) — The White Sox announced Saturday that Berroa (elbow) will start throwing again in 1-to-2 weeks, MLB.com reports.07/07
  • 60-Day-ILKy Bush (SP) — Bush (elbow) has resumed participating in long toss, MLB.com reports.07/05
  • 60-Day-ILMike Vasil (RP) — The White Sox transferred Vasil (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTanner Murray (LF) — The White Sox transferred Murray (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILBrooks Baldwin (LF) — The White Sox transferred Baldwin (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
(15)
  • 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — Shaw (hand) is scheduled to embark on a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Iowa, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.08/17
  • 10-Day-ILDansby Swanson (SS) — The Cubs placed Swanson (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.08/17
  • 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Cabrera pitched through a blister on his right middle finger during his start in Sunday's 11-4 loss to the Cardinals, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. He dropped to 5-5 on the season after striking out two batters while allowing seven earned runs on six hits and three walks across 3.2 innings.08/17
  • 15-Day-ILPhil Maton (RP) — Maton has been diagnosed with a partial patellar tendon tear in his right knee, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/12
  • 15-Day-ILGavin Hollowell (RP) — The Cubs placed Hollowell on the 15-day injured list Friday with right shoulder inflammation, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.07/31
  • 15-Day-ILHoby Milner (RP) — Milner (abdomen) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning.07/30
  • 60-Day-ILDaniel Palencia (RP) — The Cubs transferred Palencia (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Monday, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.08/17
  • 60-Day-ILBen Brown (RP) — Brown (neck) threw a bullpen session at Wrigley Field on Friday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.08/14
  • 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — Miller (elbow) began a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Iowa, striking out two batters while allowing one run on two hits and no walks.08/09
  • 60-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell announced July 8 that Martin (elbow) has resumed a throwing program at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.08/06
  • 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — Harvey (triceps/shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.08/05
  • 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Steele (elbow) will throw from flat ground and then toss 20 pitches off a mound Saturday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.07/31
  • 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

The result matters beyond the box score. Both of these clubs are playing meaningful August baseball for the first time in years — the White Sox sit atop the AL Central and the Cubs are running away with the top NL Wild Card spot — and this series is the kind of measuring-stick baseball this city hasn't had much of lately. The Sox will need a response from a bullpen that got stretched in extras, and the Cubs bank a signature Crosstown win before the set moves on.

Sources

MLBChicago White SoxChicago CubsPolymarketKalshiLuis CastilloShota Imanaga