Thompson outpitches Cueto as Cubs beat White Sox 5-1
CHICAGO (AP) — Keegan Thompson outpitched Johnny Cueto over five sharp innings in a spot start, Frank Schwindel drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs beat the crosstown White Sox 5-1 on Saturday night.
Thompson (5-0) matched his longest outing of the season, allowing one run and five hits at Guaranteed Rate Field. The right-hander struck out four and walked one in his third start and 11th appearance.
Schwindel capped a two-run first and two-run seventh with two-out, RBI singles. His hit to right in the seventh made it 5-1 and chased Cueto (0-1).
Nico Hoerner had three hits and scored a run. And the Cubs came out on top after giving up their highest run total in 23 years in a 20-5 beating at Cincinnati two days earlier.
The White Sox, pounded by Boston 16-7 on Thursday, fell back below .500 at 22-23 with their third loss in four games.
Cueto gave up five runs and nine hits after tossing six scoreless innings against both Kansas City and the New York Yankees in his first two starts for the South Siders.
Jake Burger launched his second homer in three games when he connected off Thompson in the fifth and finished with three hits. Center fielder Adam Engel robbed Willson Contreras of a home run in the Cubs ninth.
The White Sox had won seven of eight against the Cubs, including a two-game sweep at Wrigley Field May 3-4. But the North Siders struck early, scoring two in the first and another run in the second to go up 3-0.
KEUCHEL DFA'D
The White Sox designated left-hander Dallas Keuchel for assignment, after he was 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA in eight starts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: OF Seiya Suzuki (sprained left ring finger) was out of the lineup after leaving Thursday's game. … The Cubs activated OF Clint Frazier (appendicitis) from the 10-day injured list. They also transferred OF Michael Hermosillo (strained left quadriceps) back to the 10-day IL and returned LHP Brandon Hughes to Triple-A Iowa.
White Sox: GM Rick Hahn said he expects two players to go on the restricted list for the team's three-game series at Toronto that starts Tuesday because they are not vaccinated. … OF Eloy Jiménez (right knee surgery) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte, though Hahn does not expect him to return to the White Sox during their six-game trip to Toronto and Tampa Bay. … Hahn said OF Luis Robert is improving, though he's not sure if the Cuban star will return during the Blue Jays series. He expects Robert to be ready when the White Sox visit Tampa Bay. … 3B Yoán Moncada (quad soreness) was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game, though manager Tony La Russa said he was available to pinch hit and run.
UP NEXT
The two-game series wraps up with RHP Dylan Cease (4-2, 4.24 ERA) pitching for the White Sox and RHP Marcus Stroman (4-2, 4.71) starting for the Cubs. Cease got pounded for seven runs in Tuesday's 16-3 loss to Boston.
