| Date | Location | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| July Series — All Four Games | |||
| July 25 | U.S. Cellular Field | Sox 5–4 | White Sox W: Jennings L: Montgomery. HR: Frazier (29), Baez (10). |
| July 26 | U.S. Cellular Field | Sox 3–0 | White Sox W: Shields L: Hendricks SV: Robertson. HR: Eaton (7). Kyle Hendricks held to 0 runs on 5 hits in a loss. Eaton’s HR the difference. |
| July 27 | Wrigley Field | Cubs 8–1 | Cubs W: Hammel L: Ranaudo. HR: Bryant (26), Baez (11), Russell (12), Ranaudo (1). Yes — Sox pitcher Anthony Ranaudo hit a home run. Against the Cubs. In 2016. You can’t make this up. |
| July 28 | Wrigley Field | Cubs 3–1 | Cubs W: Lackey L: Sale SV: Chapman. Lackey beats Sale. Aroldis Chapman — Cubs closer acquired from the Yankees in July — slams the door at Wrigley. |
The formula was simple in 2016: each team won both its home games. Sox took the two at U.S. Cellular, Cubs took the two at Wrigley. Tied 2-2. Second straight tie. As the original site put it: “That’s like kissing your twin sisters — ewwwww.”
The Sox won both Cell games by a combined 8-4. The Cubs won Game 3 at Wrigley 8-1 — Bryant, Baez, and Russell all homered. Sox pitcher Anthony Ranaudo also homered for the Sox, which is one of those things that just happens in baseball and you accept it.
Game 4 had a satisfying wrinkle: John Lackey beat Chris Sale, and Aroldis Chapman — the Cubs’ deadline acquisition from the Yankees, already wearing a Cubs uniform — closed it out at Wrigley. The Cubs won both home games, Sox won both at the Cell. Tied 2-2. The Cubs walked away satisfied knowing what October had in store.
White Sox win both their home games, Cubs do the same. Tied 2-2. All-time after 2016: Sox 57, Cubs 51.
And then October happened.
By the way, in case you hadn’t heard: the Chicago Cubs went on to win the World Series in 2016. Seriously. No joke. They did. 108 years. Done. The South Side split the Crosstown Classic with them, for whatever that’s worth. I wonder what that means, besides nothing?