Vinnie Duber

Cubs win the regular-season finale, beat Cards 2-0. They finish at 92-70. Seiya Suzuki homered for the fifth time in the last four games and ends with 32 dingers. Playoffs start Tuesday, with Game 1 of a best-of-three series against the Padres. @chicago.suntimes.com

Cade Horton lands on injured list with fractured rib, out for Cubs’ wild-card playoff series After the Cubs spent a few days "moving forward" with Horton, they made the surprise move before their game Saturday against the Cardinals. It throws a wrench into their postseason planning.

Cade Horton tried. The Cubs tried. But after the rookie righty threw on the outfield grass Saturday, it was clear to them that the team would be without its best starter for the wild-card round and beyond.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Cubs beat Cards 7-3, securing home-field advantage for next week's wild-card series vs. Padres. Michael Busch with monster day: two homers, triple, double, four RBIs, two runs scored. Seiya Suzuki homered for fourth time in three days. PCA homered again. @chicago.suntimes.com

Cade Horton lands on injured list with rib fracture, knocked out for Cubs’ wild-card playoff series After the Cubs spent a few days "moving forward" with Horton, they made the surprise move before Saturday's game, throwing a wrench into their postseason planning.

Cade Horton heads to the IL, throwing a wrench into the Cubs' postseason pitching planning.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Cade Horton goes on the 15-day injured list with rib fracture. Placement retroactive to Sept. 25 (Thursday), will keep him out of next week's wild-card series. Looks like first playoff game he'd be available to pitch would be NLDS Game 5, if necessary, Oct. 11. @chicago.suntimes.com

Kyle Tucker returns to Cubs’ lineup, but time short to get their ‘best hitter’ in playoff shape Tucker made a successful and long-awaited return to the lineup Friday. But will he be able to get back into the swing of things in time to be an impact bat in the postseason?

Jed Hoyer called Kyle Tucker the Cubs' "best hitter" upon his return to the lineup. But is there enough time to get Tucker back in the swing of things before the playoffs start Tuesday?

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Seiya Suzuki slams, Pete Crow-Armstrong goes 30-30: With playoffs close, is Cubs’ offense back? The Cubs scored 12 runs in a rout of the Cardinals, showing the offensive firepower that fueled their success before the All-Star break.

Tucker returned, Suzuki slammed, PCA joined the 30-30 club. Yesterday was a big day for the North Side bats. Are the Cubs coming out of their second-half offensive cooldown at exactly the right time?

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Cubs rout Cards 12-1 to start regular season's final series. PCA homers, second Cub (Sosa) in 30-30 club. Suzuki hits grand slam, is third Japanese-born player ever to hit 30 homers in a season. Hoerner, Busch also homer. Tucker returns. Cubs offense back? @chicago.suntimes.com

Sox lose to Padres 3-2 in the home finale at Rate Field. Sox hitters drew nine walks but went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, scoring their two runs on bases-loaded walks. Sox lose the series and are two losses away from 100 with six games left. @chicago.suntimes.com

With ‘role model’ Jose Abreu in the house, Miguel Vargas taking baton in White Sox’ Cuban legacy Vargas has carved out a spot for himself in the budding core of Sox position players, setting him up to be the next link in a chain of Cuban-born South Siders stretching back to Minnie Minoso.

With his "idol" and "role model" José Abreu in the house this weekend, Miguel Vargas looked the part of a member of the Sox' core and the next step in the franchise's Cuban legacy that dates back to Minnie Miñoso.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Sox lose to Padres 7-3. RBI doubles from Miguel Vargas and Kyle Teel made for a small lead early, but Yoendrys Gomez and Fraser Ellard combined to cough up four runs in the sixth and that did it. Lenyn Sosa's ninth-inning homer too little, too late. @chicago.suntimes.com

Closer of the future? Grant Taylor shines in ninth, but White Sox to mull his role this offseason Taylor, the Sox' second-round pick in 2023, has looked dynamite in his last two outings. While the team says he's got what it takes to close, there's a decision that needs to be made about what role h...

Grant Taylor: Sox' closer of the future?

He looked real good in the ninth last night. The team has a lot of thinking planned for this winter when it comes to his role for 2026.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Jose Abreu gets overdue ovation in South Side return, though White Sox icon not here to call it quits A franchise icon for his individual accomplishments and role on a pair of rare playoff teams, Abreu returned to the South Side on Friday but was noticeably coy about his present and future.

José Abreu returned to Rate Field last night and got the ovation he avoided in his last game with the Sox in 2022. But finality wasn't on Abreu's mind, the franchise icon coy about his present and future.

"This is not done yet."

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Sox snap their six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Padres. They scored four off former Sox ace Dylan Cease, including two on a Miguel Vargas homer in the first and two more after Cease hit back-to-back batters in the fourth. @chicago.suntimes.com

Hagen Smith throws playoff gem: How close are White Sox’ top prospects to making major league impact? Smith, one of the Sox' higher rated prospects, struck out 10 in five no-hit innings during Double-A Birmingham's postseason win Thursday, conjuring visions of what he and other minor leaguers could on...

Hagen Smith was excellent in last night's playoff win for Double-A Birmingham.

When's he going to be doing that kind of thing on the South Side? A look at Smith and other top Sox prospects and their proximity to the big leagues, for the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Back for 2026? Martin Perez exits with injury, but White Sox high on veteran’s presence on young team Perez departed his start Wednesday with a sore shoulder, hoping to avoid worse ailments and set himself up to return in 2026. Will that return come with the Sox? They like the idea.

Martín Pérez lands on the injured list with a strained shoulder, ending his season with only nine games left.

Could he be back with Sox in 2026? Wrote about it the other day for the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Sox swept by Orioles with 3-1 loss. Losing streak at six. Mike Tauchman's solo homer the lone offense. Martín Pérez left early with a sore shoulder. They need at least six wins in final nine games to avoid third straight 100-loss season. @chicago.suntimes.com

White Sox’ offseason shaping up to once more focus on rebuilding rather than big free-agent spending General manager Chris Getz said the team will prioritize improvement from players who already part of the organization as the Sox' rebuild rolls on this winter.

What kind of winter will it be for the Sox?

Once more, it seems to be shaping up as an offseason prioritizing the growth of players already with the organization rather than big free-agent additions.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Sox lose to Orioles 8-7. Shane Smith matched a season high with six runs allowed, helping create a six-run deficit that not even a five-run eighth could overcome. Kyle Teel homered, and Chase Meidroth is on a 12-game hit streak. But Sox have lost five straight. @chicago.suntimes.com

What’s next for Noah Schultz? White Sox looking ahead to 2026 spring training with top pitching prospect After being shut down for the season, the Sox are looking ahead to next spring as they chart the future of their top-ranked pitching prospect.

What's next for Noah Schultz? The Sox are looking ahead to spring training 2026 when it comes to their top pitching prospect.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Sox drop series-opener with Orioles 4-1. Tyler Alexander allowed a tie-breaking three-run homer in the sixth inning. Sox' pitchers walked six batters. Sox' bats struck out 15 times and mustered only four hits, just one after the second inning. @chicago.suntimes.com

At end of another losing season, White Sox see final games as meaningful to rebuilding progress The highest drama over the final two weeks will be whether the Sox lose 100 games for the third straight season. But team brass sees progress, if mostly intangible, that points toward a brighter South...

These are the final days of another losing season on the South Side. As fans patiently wait for a winner, Sox brass sees rebuilding progress, not to mention something meaningful in the last dozen games.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/20...

Cubs score a 4-3 comeback win over the Rays to take the weekend series. Shota Imanaga gave up back-to-back homers to start the game. Ian Happ homered in the sixth, and Nico Hoerner flipped the game with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh. @chicago.suntimes.com

Cubs lose to Rays 5-4. An afternoon party celebrating Anthony Rizzo's retirement ends on a sour note for Cubs fans, who watched Porter Hodge allow a game-tying homer in the eighth and Brad Keller give up a game-winning homer in the ninth. @chicago.suntimes.com

Cubs say they’re not turning to one specific closer in Daniel Palencia’s absence: ‘It’s all hands on deck’ The Cubs' bullpen thrived for a second straight game, with four relievers retiring all 12 batters they faced as they continue to venture forward without injured closer Daniel Palencia.

"It's all hands on deck" for the Cubs' bullpen in the wake of Daniel Palencia's injury.

For the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Cubs top Rays 6-4 to start weekend series. Ian Happ homered as part of three-hit, two-RBI day. Matthew Boyd only went five innings, but the 'pen was good again, perfect actually: 12 up, 12 down. Andrew Kittredge gets his second save since Daniel Palencia hit IL. @chicago.suntimes.com

Ninth-inning disaster: Insult, injury for Daniel Palencia send Cubs toward October with big closer questions Palencia was hammered by the Nationals for five runs in the ninth inning Sunday, blowing a lead and departing with a shoulder injury without getting an out.

It's hard to be a contender without a closer, but that's where the Cubs could be.

Daniel Palencia's ninth-inning disaster gave him a 9.58 ERA in his last 13 outings. And he hurt his shoulder.

On big questions heading toward October, for @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Cubs lose to Nats 6-3, drop weekend series. Daniel Palencia crushed in ninth, blowing 3-1 lead. Nats got two HRs, including pinch-hit, three-run shot by Josh Bell. Palencia left with injury before getting an out. Carson Kelly hit two HRs before ninth-inning mess. @chicago.suntimes.com

‘Masterful’ Matthew Boyd enters Cubs’ record books as franchise’s single-season pickoff leader Boyd threw seven innings of two-run ball in Saturday's loss to the Nationals, keeping his team in the game with a pair of pickoffs and two stellar defensive plays to go along with the effective pitchi...

A "masterful" Matthew Boyd did it all yesterday, effective on the mound, stellar with the glove and a new entrant into the Cubs' record books, thanks to his pickoff move.

On Boyd and the Cubs' potentially fierce playoff pitching, for the @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2025/09...

Cubs lose to Nats 2-1. They had only three hits, held to one run despite walking seven times. Matthew Boyd was great: seven innings of two-run ball plus set new franchise record with 10 pickoffs this season. PCA left early after fouling a ball off his knee. @chicago.suntimes.com