Cubs Top White Sox 10-5 in White Sox Game Opener
The Cubs beat the White Sox 10-5 Friday night at Rate Field in the white sox game opener, taking the first game of this year's Crosstown Classic Series. It was the first time since June 2008 that both teams met with records above.500, a sign this rivalry carried more weight than usual.
Rate Field Opens the Series
Chicago's split crowd got the scoreline it came to see: the Cubs finished on top by five runs and set the tone for the next three days of the Crosstown Classic. The White Sox hosted the game and entered it one game out of first place in the American League Central, while the Cubs arrived leading the National League Central with the second-best record in the National League.
That made Friday's opener unusual before the first pitch. The Cubs have dominated the Crosstown Classic in recent years, but the White Sox came in as arguably the hotter team, riding a five-game winning streak.
Zane Parks at the Ballpark
For White Sox fan Zane Parks, the atmosphere was the point as much as the score. He said, "It's a electrifying, yes," and called the game exciting. Mario Coix added, "It's awesome for the city. It's great," while Bobby Parks said, "I think you have All-Stars on both sides".
Alex Avila pointed to the crowd as the clearest change around this rivalry game. He said, "For me, I know it's exciting, because I've come with him to Sox games, and it's been empty, so the atmosphere has been kind of dull," a contrast to the larger stage around this opener.
Crosstown Classic Momentum
The opener left the White Sox with a loss after their five-game run, and it put the Cubs ahead in a series that had drawn attention because both clubs were playing well at the same time. That had not happened in this matchup since June 2008, a stretch of 18 years that included the 2020 pandemic season.
The next three days of the Crosstown Classic were expected to continue after Friday's result, giving both sides another chance to shape a series that already looked different from the recent past.
