Crosstown Classic could flip the switch for Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox are not off to the start they were hoping for when 2022 started. They were 6-2 after eight games but a long losing streak is responsible for them going into this stretch of games at 9-13.

They need to find a way to get out of this rut. A big win on Monday over the Los Angeles Angels should help with that. They had everything that they needed in terms of offense in that one and Dylan Cease had as good of a start as you could have asked for.

The team that traded Cease to the White Sox is the Chicago Cubs who just happens to be their next opponent. The White Sox and Cubs have two games in this Crosstown Classic series at Wrigley Field. It is a great chance for the White Sox to get their season back on track.

If they can flip that switch and play at their best, they should be able to beat the Cubs badly. Both teams go in at 9-13 but we know why. The White Sox have played horrid and are very injured. The Cubs are just a bad team.

The Chicago White Sox need to beat the Chicago Cubs any way that they can.

The Cubs have somewhat of a “feel good” feeling around them because Seiya Suzuki is amazing and they won a game 21-0. The White Sox have a “bad feeling” surrounding them because expectations are everything in sports.

Speaking of Suzuki, he is absolutely off to a fantastic start. This is his first Major League season after dominating overseas for a long time. The Cubs are lucky to have him as he is someone for the White Sox to pay close attention to.

It will be up to Michael Kopech on the mound in this first game. He has been outstanding to start this season and needs to keep the Cubs bats quiet for them to have a chance. If he can work off his fastball and get the Cubs’ best hitters to bite on his off-speed stuff, he will have a great chance.

The White Sox offense will face Drew Smyly in this one. He is a left-handed pitcher which the White Sox have dominated so far for the most part. If Tim Anderson and Luis Robert can set the tone early in the game, they should be able to pile on runs.

These two teams don’t really affect each other in the standings even slightly. One team plays in the NL Central and one plays in the AL Central. They also are in opposite leagues so Wild Card positioning isn’t impacted either. It is a fan-driven rivalry.

However, it does mean something usually despite all of that. A lot of the time, how this series goes sends one team in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. The White Sox can put themselves in a good spot to turn their season around if they dominate this series. Expect the big boys to come to play with Kopech getting ready to own hitters once again.