Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, White Sox 1 – May 28, 2022
The Cubs came out swinging early, getting a 3-0 lead on the White Sox, and the pitching (and a little defense) took it from there.
Why Tony La Russa left Johnny Cueto in there to get knocked around by the Cubs in what could have become a winnable game late, I have no idea. But he did, the Cubs padded an early lead on that basis, and the White Sox didn’t get particularly close again.
Through 4.0 innings, Keegan Thompson was looking as good as he typically looks this year in those kinds of two or three or *maybe* four-inning bursts. He did have that one awesome five-inning outing against the Pirates last week, but that was incredibly efficient, and he was never in any kind of peril. Tonight, he was already pushing 60 pitches when the fifth inning started, so it was a lot to ask for him to come back out given how he’s been swinging in and out of the bullpen. He gave up a couple rockets that inning, including a Jake Burger homer, but managed to get through the fifth in just under 80 pitches.
5 IP, 1 ER, 4 K.
Keegan Thompson is sporting a 1.58 ERA on the year. pic.twitter.com/RB7lfnmEnl
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 29, 2022
In total, it was a great start for a guy who isn’t fully stretched out. I think my main takeaway from the outing would be that if you’re gonna push Thompson to near 80 pitches in an outing like tonight, I’d like to see him starting on the regular, not bouncing back and forth between that and a two-inning burst in a few days.
Didn’t love seeing this on the broadcast:
Seiya Suzuki currently with a brace on the sprained finger. That seems not great. pic.twitter.com/rcHBX1Yvmq
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) May 28, 2022
Yasmani Grandal runs like he has a piano strapped to his back, and that piano has a smaller – but still heavy! – piano strapped to its back:
OUT BY A MILE 🎯
Rafael Ortega throws out Yasmani Grandal at the plate! pic.twitter.com/cNPPcIXFFY
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 28, 2022
Scott Effross, coming off his first bad outing, was right back to being ridiculous:
So casually cruel.@ScottEffross pic.twitter.com/C8wZUdcLG8
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 29, 2022
These two, though … I really noticed. One game does not a future make, and there’s so much more needed (and a long way to go), but I feel like dreaming ..
