Cubs Trio Faces White Sox in City Series Rivalry

Chris Flexen consistently enjoyed casting at Wrigley Field throughout his career, but his alpha at the celebrated ballpark took on an altered akin of acuteness aftermost year back took the bank for the White Sox.

Flexen remembers it as the Sox’s best acute alternation of the season, one that went bottomward in avant-garde Major League Baseball history with the best losses. Now on the division-leading Cubs (25-19), Flexen – with infielder Nicky Lopez and right-hander Brad Keller activity from apery the South Ancillary in 2024 to the North Ancillary this year – is attractive advanced to experiencing the animosity from the added side. He started a bold in anniversary alternation aftermost season, captivation the Cubs to one run and six hits in nine innings, admitting the Sox absent both games.

“The bigger affair is you aloof see the burghal of Chicago appear out and abutment their teams, no amount what ancillary it’s on, the dejected ability be a little stronger in the stands,” Flexen said. “It was a lot of fun. It’s absolutely a cool, alarming burghal animosity to be a allotment of and it’s fun to see the admirers appear out and absolutely get into the games.”

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He didn’t ahead any affable debris talking with his above Sox teammates arch up to this weekend’s Burghal Series.

“I’m not abundant of a debris talker,” Flexen said, chuckling. “More of a analysis in to see how you’re doing.”

Despite Sox’s 121 Losses, Flexen Stays Focused and Competitive

Flexen led the Sox with 160 innings while actualization in 33 amateur (30 starts). He didn’t acquaintance the akin of claimed or aggregation success he envisioned activity into the year, announcement a 4.95 ERA en avenue to the Sox’s almanac 121 losses. The Sox (14-30) access this weekend with the affliction almanac in the American League and accept the aforementioned almanac as the 2024 band through 44 games.

Flexen approved to not abide on the struggles aural the moment aftermost year, instead absorption to accomplish abiding he was able every day to go out and compete.

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“That’s article that got me through that year and we had acceptable guys over there, acceptable teammates so you still cull for one another,” Flexen said. “But as an individual, article that you can ascendancy is actuality accessible every day. I try to booty pride in that and at the end of the end of the day, whether aerial or low, activity acceptable or activity bad, you can appearance up and compete. And not that it’s article I’ve learned, but it absolutely was the analysis and I absolutely put my best bottom forward.”

When the Cubs had Lopez in big-league affected this spring, they believed the 30-year-old Naperville built-in was bigger defensively than his career-worst metrics from aftermost year indicated.

“I anticipate I absent a little bit of a footfall aftermost year,” Lopez said. “I’m not aggravating to accomplish excuses, but accustomed the circumstances, it was a appealing boxy year for a lot of us over there. And so this offseason, back we were talking to teams, a lot of it was some of the numbers defensively took a hit that in the aboriginal bristles years of my big-league career, that never was the case. I’ve consistently afraid my hat on on defense.”

Lopez, who was fourth on the Sox in bowl appearances in 2024, has apparent bound activity in his bank role but he accepted that was the bearings aback he agreed to a major-league accord with the Cubs aftermost month. Both abandon acquainted the fit was appropriate dating to the antecedent bush arrangement he active as he spent the bounce aggravating to accomplish the roster. His aegis has gotten aback on clue at third base, area he has started nine amateur for the Cubs.

So when Lopez evaluated his offseason options, he reflected on the struggles and what he wanted in the big picture for his career. Of course every player wants to stick for 10 years in the majors and be an everyday player, but if the latter wasn’t going to happen, Lopez knew he playing for a winner was a must.

“When we started talking to the Cubs, I was like, man, this is a great fit, I want to come here and do anything I can to help this team win,” Lopez said. “And so it was definitely a reflection period, how can I stick? Where can I go to stick? And this is a perfect fit.”

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Right-hander Brad Keller has been a bright spot in the Cubs bullpen this year after spending three weeks with the White Sox from late April until mid May before becoming a free agent and going to the Red Sox for the rest of the season. Keller said it’s special to get to play for both Chicago teams – he’s one of 209 players to have done so, according to Cubs team historian Ed Hartig – and praised the Cubs for the environment that has been created.

The trio of former Sox knew when they joined the organization that reaching the postseason has been a priority from the onset. That brings performance-related expectations, which each player has embraced, with big-picture team goals that create a very different feeling from what they experienced with the rebuilding Sox.

“It’s just been a heightened level of focus here, and it’s just been a lot of fun,” Keller said. “We’re a really good team and we’re built for sustained success.”

Originally Published: May 16, 2025, at 6:00 AM CDT