The Chicago Cubs delivered a dramatic finish at Wrigley Field, defeating the Chicago White Sox 7-5 in 10 innings in a thrilling opener of the Crosstown Classic on Monday night.
The White Sox battled back from early deficits twice and appeared poised to steal a road victory before Pete Crow-Armstrong ended the contest with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning. The loss snapped Chicago’s three-game winning streak and highlighted both the intensity of the rivalry and the fine margins that can decide a late-season game.
Cubs Strike Early Against White Sox
The game began poorly for the White Sox, who quickly fell behind 2-0. Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki opened the scoring with consecutive home runs against Luis Castillo.
The White Sox struggled to generate offense early, but eventually found an answer against Cubs starter Shota Imanaga.
After Munetaka Murakami drew a walk in the fourth inning, Miguel Vargas recorded the White Sox’s first hit. Randal Grichuk then delivered the biggest swing of the inning, launching a three-run homer that put the White Sox ahead 3-2.
Imanaga still turned in a strong outing, striking out 10 batters across six innings while allowing only two hits.
Defensive Mistakes Put White Sox Behind Again
The Cubs regained control in the fifth inning after Suzuki reached on a walk and Alex Bregman followed with a single.
Ian Happ’s grounder moved the runners into position before Nico Hoerner brought Suzuki home with an infield single. A throwing error by Vargas then allowed Happ to score, giving the Cubs a 4-3 advantage.
The White Sox prevented further damage, but the defensive mistake proved costly.
Chicago answered again in the eighth.
Andrew Benintendi, coming off the bench for Grichuk, crushed a first-pitch offering from Ryan Zeferjahn for a two-run homer. The blast put the White Sox back in front 5-4 and appeared to give them a chance to close out the rivalry game.
Cubs Force Extra Innings
The Cubs refused to go quietly.
Jordan Hicks entered the ninth inning trying to protect the White Sox lead but ran into trouble after issuing consecutive walks. Nico Hoerner followed with a game-tying single, while a bobble by Tristan Peters allowed Tyrone Taylor to score.
The Cubs then loaded the bases with one out after an intentional walk to Pedro Ramírez.
Hicks responded by striking out Miguel Amaya before inducing a ground ball to Vargas to escape the inning. The White Sox survived the threat, but the game headed to extra innings tied at 5-5.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Delivers Walk-Off
The White Sox had another opportunity in the top of the 10th.
Murakami began the inning with a walk, and Braden Montgomery later reached after the White Sox successfully used an extra-inning challenge to overturn a strike-three call. That loaded the bases, but Chicago could not capitalize.
Hagen Smith was then brought in for the bottom of the 10th to face the top of the Cubs’ lineup.
Crow-Armstrong quickly ended the game.
Smith fell behind in the count before leaving a slider over the plate. Crow-Armstrong connected and sent the ball over the fence for a walk-off home run, giving the Cubs a 7-5 victory.
The blast marked the first professional hit and runs allowed by Smith during his brief professional career. He had previously recorded seven strikeouts and six walks over 4 2/3 innings.
White Sox Still Look Ahead
Despite the disappointing loss, the White Sox showed the resilience that has defined their 2026 season.
Chicago entered the game with a 65-59 record and a 4 1/2-game lead in the American League Central with 38 games remaining. The loss ended a three-game winning streak, but the White Sox twice erased Cubs leads and remained competitive until the final pitch.
The atmosphere at Wrigley Field was also a major part of the night. More than 40,000 fans watched an intense matchup that felt more like a postseason game than a regular-season contest.
White Sox manager Will Venable praised the energy inside the ballpark, while Miguel Vargas also highlighted the strong presence of White Sox supporters among the crowd.
Crosstown Classic Has October Potential
The victory gave the Cubs a 79-77 all-time advantage in the Crosstown Classic and marked their seventh consecutive win over the White Sox at Wrigley Field.
Monday’s game also added another compelling chapter to a rivalry that could potentially have much greater stakes later this year.
Both teams have postseason aspirations, and the possibility of a White Sox-Cubs World Series matchup has already generated plenty of excitement around Chicago.
For now, the White Sox will have to regroup quickly. They remain in a strong position in the AL Central, but Monday’s extra-inning defeat showed how costly missed opportunities, defensive mistakes and a single poorly located pitch can become during the stretch run.
The Cubs, meanwhile, can celebrate a memorable walk-off victory after Crow-Armstrong’s dramatic finish gave the North Side club a 7-5 win in one of the most entertaining Crosstown Classic games of the season.
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