Crosstown Dominance: White Sox Beat Cubs Again, 4-2

Spring training continues to showcase the Chicago White Sox’s dominance over their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs. On Friday, the South Siders clinched their third straight win over the Cubs, this time in a 4-2 victory at Camelback Ranch. While the win wasn’t as explosive as some previous contests, with only two homers compared to the four they launched in their 5-1 win on March 1, it was yet another reminder that the White Sox are in control of this spring rivalry.

Let’s just call it a technical knockout — the Cubs have shown some progress, but the White Sox remain the superior squad in these meetings. As the Cactus League approaches its midpoint, the Cubs’ offense still has work to do, while the White Sox appear to be hitting their stride.

Pitching Dominance Highlights the Victory

The White Sox pitching staff was once again the key to their success. Davis Martin started the game with an impressive four-inning performance, holding the Cubs to just one hit while striking out four. The Cubs’ offense had no answer for Martin, who was a step ahead throughout his outing. After a brief stint from Jordan Hicks, who threw a scoreless inning (with one strikeout and a hit allowed), the game was handed over to Sean Newcomb. The left-hander threw three strong innings, giving up two unearned runs on three hits, while punching out six batters.

Finally, Jordan Leasure wrapped up the game with a clean scoreless inning, adding two strikeouts to secure the save and seal the win for the White Sox. All in all, it was a well-rounded performance from the pitching staff, allowing just two earned runs while striking out a combined 13 Cubs in the game.

Offensive Highlights: Korey Lee and Everson Pereira Lead the Charge

While the White Sox pitching was stellar, the offense didn’t leave much to be desired. Korey Lee played a pivotal role, going 2-for-2 and contributing with a home run and an RBI in the second inning to give the White Sox an early 1-0 lead. Lee’s performance this spring has been nothing short of impressive, as he continues to shine with a .529 on-base percentage and 10 hits in 26 at-bats. His contributions have made him an increasingly important piece of the White Sox lineup.

The White Sox added another run in the third inning and kept chipping away with single runs in the first five frames. But the Cubs didn’t go quietly. They managed to rally to cut the White Sox lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning after Jarred Kelenic, the White Sox center fielder, made two costly errors that allowed the Cubs to score. Kelenic has shown flashes of his potential but has struggled with consistency this spring, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the coaching staff.

The White Sox immediately responded to the Cubs’ brief rally in the sixth. Everson Pereira sent a solo shot into the stands, pushing the lead back to 4-2, which would be the final score. Pereira’s blast was a reminder of the White Sox’s depth and ability to hit for power at critical moments.

Looking Ahead: The Cubs and White Sox Head in Different Directions

With the win, the White Sox improved their spring record to 12-9, while the Cubs fell to 9-11. While it’s still early in the spring, the White Sox seem to be clicking on all cylinders, with strong pitching and timely hitting. Meanwhile, the Cubs will need to regroup and find their offensive rhythm before the regular season begins.

For the Cubs, this was their final matchup of the spring against the White Sox, but they still have the opportunity to recover with more games ahead. The White Sox, on the other hand, will continue their strong spring campaign as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Saturday.

Fans of both teams will be keeping a close eye on these final weeks of spring training as they set the stage for what promises to be an exciting 2026 season. As for the White Sox, they’ll look to continue their dominance and head into the regular season with confidence. For the Cubs, there’s still plenty of work to do, but with the right adjustments, they could turn things around before Opening Day.