Friday night marks this season's second installment of a Chicago baseball tradition -- the annual Crosstown Series, where the White Sox will battle it out with the Cubs, this time at Guaranteed Rate Field, for a two-game series.
Here's what to know about the game:
When is the Crosstown Classic?
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. on Friday and 6:15 p.m. on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Gates open 90 minutes before first pitch.
What to know
The Cubs hit the road hoping for an easy sweep of the White Sox, who have lost 21 of their last 23 games.
The Cubs have a 57-60 record overall and a 25-33 record in away games, while the Sox have a 17-40 record in home games and a 28-89 record overall.
Chicago White Sox
In the first Crosstown Series of 2024 back in June, the Cubs won both games at Wrigley Field by a score of 7-6. The White Sox blew a five-run lead in the first game and a four-run lead in the second game of the series. In the latter, Cubs' Mike Tauchman hit a walk-off home run against former White Sox closer Michael Kopech.
"Doesn't matter what the record is -- it's Cubs-Sox," said NBC Sports Chicago Analyst Frank Thomas said earlier this season. "There's always been animosity between the two teams. I don't know why, but it's happened for many, many years and the city's watching so everyone's playing their best baseball normally."
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This will be the first game for the White Sox since the team fired former manager Pedro Grifol. The team announced Thursday Grady Sizemore will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season as they conduct their managerial search. Friday's game will be Sizemore's managerial debut.
Starting pitchers:
White Sox: Garrett Crochet (6-8, 3.19 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 162 strikeouts)
Cubs: Jameson Taillon (7-6, 3.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 86 strikeouts)
How to watch
Friday's game will air on NBC Sports Chicago with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. Chuck Garfien and Ozzie Guillen will be hosting the pregame show live from Guaranteed Rate Field. Additionally, Chuck Garfien will be conducting interviews with players and coaches throughout the game in the latest installment of NBC Sports Chicago's "Friday Night All Access."
Saturday's game will air exclusively on FOX.
