Cubs clinch division title despite loss
CHICAGO: Jose Abreu drilled a goahead, bases-clearing double in the fourth inning and James McCann and Yoan Moncada homered to lift the hosts Chicago White Sox past the Chicago Cubs 9-5 on Saturday to snap a six-game losing streak.
Despite suffering their sixth loss in seven games, the Cubs clinched the National League Central when the St Louis Cardinals lost earlier in the night. It’s the Cubs’ third division title in the past five seasons and first since 2017.
The White Sox still could join the Cubs as division champs. The White Sox remained one game behind the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins entering regular-season finale this morning, Thai time, and are one game ahead of the third-place Cleveland Indians. Chicago own the tiebreaker on Minnesota, but Cleveland hold the tie-breaker on Chicago.
Moncada, Abreu, McCann and Nick Madrigal had two hits apiece for the White Sox, with Abreu and Moncada both driving in three runs. The White Sox outhit the Cubs 10-5. Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, smacking a third-inning grand slam that gave Chicago a 5-2 lead.
Brandon Woodruff allowed just two hits in eight innings to lead Milwaukee past hosts St Louis 3-0 to keep their play-off hopes alive.
These teams split the first four games of their five-game NL Central showdown heading into this morning’s critical game. The loss prevented the Cardinals from clinching a berth in the National League postseason bracket.
Woodruff only allowed singles by Kolten Wong in the first inning and Yadier Molina in the second. He struck out 10 batters overall and retired 19 batters in a row after Molina’s hit.