The Chicago Cubs once again found a dramatic way to defeat the Chicago White Sox, using a late-game rally and a clutch hit from Alex Bregman to secure a 4-3 walk-off victory Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. The win gave the Cubs their second consecutive walk-off triumph over their crosstown rivals and officially secured the series.
Bregman was at the center of the decisive moment, finishing the night 2-for-5 with two RBIs. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, he stepped to the plate against White Sox reliever Trevor Richards and lined an RBI single to bring home the winning run, sending the Wrigley Field crowd into celebration.
The victory was particularly impressive because the Cubs had to overcome a rain delay of nearly 90 minutes in the eighth inning before eventually producing the winning run. Jacob Webb handled the top of the ninth for Chicago, retiring the White Sox in order to earn the victory and improve to 6-2 on the season.
Chicago jumped ahead early thanks to the continued power surge from Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Cubs center fielder launched a solo home run in the first inning, giving Chicago an immediate advantage. It was his second consecutive game with a leadoff homer and his third home run of the series, pushing his season total to 31 homers.
Michael Busch also contributed in the opening frame, hitting a solo shot of his own to give the Cubs an early 2-0 lead. However, the White Sox gradually fought their way back into the contest.
White Sox starter Bryan Hudson surrendered the two early home runs, but Erick Fedde provided valuable relief after entering the game. Fedde settled down after allowing Chicago to threaten in the second inning and proceeded to retire 11 consecutive Cubs hitters. He ultimately worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five.
The White Sox eventually erased the Cubs’ early advantage. Drew Romo delivered an RBI single in the second inning before Munetaka Murakami tied the game in the third with his 29th home run of the season. Murakami’s opposite-field blast traveled into the left-field stands, keeping the White Sox firmly in the game.
Chicago’s pitching also encountered adversity when starter Kevin Gausman began experiencing cramping in his left, non-throwing hand. Gausman received attention from Cubs trainers but initially remained on the mound after throwing several warmup pitches.
He eventually departed in the fifth inning after surrendering a one-out single. Gausman finished his Cubs home debut with three runs allowed on seven hits across 4 1/3 innings, along with two walks and five strikeouts.
The White Sox briefly moved ahead when Tristan Peters delivered an RBI double in the fourth inning, putting Chicago’s South Side visitors ahead 3-2.
The Cubs, however, refused to let the game slip away. They took advantage of control problems in the seventh inning when Huascar Brazoban issued two walks to open the frame. After striking out Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki, Grant Taylor entered and surrendered a game-tying RBI single to Bregman.
That set the stage for Bregman’s second big hit of the night.
With the game tied in the ninth, Bregman came through against Richards with two outs, lining a decisive single that brought home the winning run and gave the Cubs another dramatic victory.
For the Cubs, the back-to-back walk-off wins provided more than just a pair of victories. They demonstrated the club’s ability to remain composed in tight games and find critical hits late, while Crow-Armstrong’s continued power surge and Bregman’s clutch production provided major offensive highlights.
The 4-3 victory also clinched the series for Chicago, making it the second consecutive night the Cubs had celebrated a walk-off win over the White Sox.
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