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Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
For a trio of Cubs, the City Series represents the other side of the rivalry with the White Sox
Chris Flexen always enjoyed pitching at Wrigley Field throughout his career, but his start at the historic ballpark took on a different level of intensity last year when took the mound for the White Sox. Flexen remembers it as the Sox's most intense series of the season, one that went down in modern Major League Baseball history with the most losses. Now on the division-leading Cubs (25-19), Flexen — with infielder Nicky Lopez and right-hander Brad Keller going from representing the South Side in 2024 to the North Side this year — is looking forward to experiencing the rivalry from the other side. He started a game in each series last season, holding the Cubs to one run and six hits in nine innings, though the Sox lost both games. 'The biggest thing is you just see the city of Chicago come out and support their teams, no matter what side it's on, the blue might be a little stronger in the stands,' Flexen said. 'It was a lot of fun. It's definitely a cool, awesome city rivalry to be a part of and it's fun to see the fans come out and really get into the games.' He didn't anticipate any friendly trash talking with his former Sox teammates leading up to this weekend's City Series. 'I'm not much of a trash talker,' Flexen said, chuckling. 'More of a check in to see how you're doing.' Flexen led the Sox with 160 innings while appearing in 33 games (30 starts). He didn't experience the level of personal or team success he envisioned going into the year, posting a 4.95 ERA en route to the Sox's record 121 losses. The Sox (14-30) enter this weekend with the worst record in the American League and have the same record as the 2024 squad through 44 games. Flexen tried to not dwell on the struggles within the moment last year, instead focusing to make sure he was prepared every day to go out and compete. 'That's something that got me through that year and we had good guys over there, good teammates so you still pull for one another,' Flexen said. 'But as an individual, something that you can control is being ready every day. I try to take pride in that and at the end of the end of the day, whether high or low, going good or going bad, you can show up and compete. And not that it's something I've learned, but it definitely was the test and I definitely put my best foot forward.' When the Cubs had Lopez in big-league camp this spring, they believed the 30-year-old Naperville native was better defensively than his career-worst metrics from last year indicated. 'I think I lost a little bit of a step last year,' Lopez said. 'I'm not trying to make excuses, but given the circumstances, it was a pretty tough year for a lot of us over there. And so this offseason, when we were talking to teams, a lot of it was some of the numbers defensively took a hit that in the first five years of my big-league career, that never was the case. I've always hung my hat on on defense.' Lopez, who was fourth on the Sox in plate appearances in 2024, has seen limited action in his bench role but he understood that was the situation when he agreed to a major-league deal with the Cubs last month. Both sides felt the fit was right dating to the initial minor-league contract he signed as he spent the spring trying to make the roster. His defense has gotten back on track at third base, where he has started nine games for the Cubs. Reflecting on 2024 with the Sox, his lone season with the organization following an offseason 2023 trade from the Atlanta Braves as part of the package for reliever Aaron Bummer, Lopez noted how well the Sox clubhouse stuck together, though 'you had to kind of dig deep and know that this is tough, we were going to get our butts kicked every single day and it was just one of those things.' 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.' 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.'
Chicago Tribune
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago baseball report: Division play heats up for the Cubs and the White Sox
For the first time this season, the Cubs finally played a team below .500 this week when they traveled to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates. It also represented their first games against a division opponent, something only two other MLB teams had not yet done this year entering Tuesday. The Cubs will need to beat the hard-throwing Paul Skenes on Thursday to take the series before traveling to Milwaukee for a three-game set against the Brewers beginning Friday. The Sox jump back into division play next week against the Kansas City Royals. The four-game series begins Monday at Kauffman Stadium. The Sox went 1-12 against the Royals last season. Every Thursday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what's ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox. Want more? Sign up for our Cubs Insider and White Sox Insider. Lower arm slot adjustment leads to success, call up to Cubs for right-hander Chris Flexen When Chris Flexen arrived at big-league camp with the Cubs this spring and went through their pitching lab process, a necessary change became glaringly evident. After looking through the data, video and getting eyes on him, the Cubs' pitching department identified that Flexen's arm slot was contributing to inconsistencies with his command and the quality of his stuff. The group immediately worked with the 30-year-old right-hander to lower his arm slot after being 'extremely higher' than it had been in the past when he was successful with Seattle from 2021-2022 (3.66 ERA in 64 games/53 starts). 'I was in very bad body positions, so lack of command, lack of stuff, lack of life and things like that,' Flexen said Wednesday. 'So we tried to drop the slot. It wasn't anything too crazy. I'm not a side arm thrower now. I still throw very over the top, but enough to be able to create a little more lasso whip in the arm. 'It's a continuous thing to always work on, whether it be in weighted balls, sides, games, all of it, and just getting constant feedback,' Flexen said. 'And having great eyes on it, and always being able to make those adjustments on the fly.' The adjustment and subsequent consistency led to great results with Triple-A Iowa, where Flexen posted a 1.16 ERA in 23 1/3 innings spanning five starts in which he didn't allow a home run and struck out 21 batters while walking eight. The Cubs added Flexen to the 40-man roster Tuesday and called him up to Pittsburgh. Left-hander Tom Cosgrove was optioned to Iowa, and right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot for Flexen. Flexen had a May 1 opt-out in his minor-league deal, forcing the Cubs to decide on his future in the organization. With how well Flexen had been pitching for Iowa, he would have garnered interest from other organizations. Flexen is expected to be used in a multi-inning, long-relief role in the bullpen. 'This is a guy that's had success, he kind of got off track, and you have confidence that those guys can get back on track and pitching well,' manager Craig Counsell said. 'He's got major-league hitters out, and he was obviously doing a great job getting Triple-A hitters out and earned an opportunity.' What has driven the opener strategy recently deployed by the Sox? The Sox tied a major-league mark by using an opener for the fourth consecutive game on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sox matched the Tampa Bay Rays, who did it from Sept. 2-5, 2018, according to STATS. Sox senior adviser to pitching Brian Bannister discussed the benefits of the strategy, which was first deployed during the weekend series against the Athletics. 'I know it's something we did a lot in San Francisco, you see it used successfully like what the (Detroit) Tigers did last year in the second half after the (Jack) Flaherty trade,' Bannister said Sunday in West Sacramento, Calif. 'I think it does help set up the lineup in favor of the starting pitcher that follows, especially when there's a little thump. You're guaranteed to get their best hitters in the first inning. So I think just giving an alternate look, an alternate hand could be really successful. 'We're at a point now, with the loss of (starter) Martín (Pérez) short term, our entire major-league pitching staff is making $10 million. There's a lot of guys with less than a year of service time, so anything we can do to facilitate that adjustment to the major-league level and give them an edge just against these opposing lineups, can be very beneficial.' As for concerns about the potential impact on a young starter's development, Bannister said pitchers like Sean Burke and Jonathan Cannon have still had the chance to go through their normal routines. 'They still get to prepare like they're starting that day, they can still do all their pregame stuff. It's not a surprise when they're going in, it's premeditated,' Bannister said. 'They're going in in the second or against a specific hitter, and so everything really stays the same. So to them, it feels like a start, but they get the advantage of maybe getting past those first couple hitters and the opposing manager has to set things up the way that it is going to be most beneficial for their team, which could help our guys. 'With any of these young guys, just trying to get them some momentum.' Number of the week: 13 The Sox had a 7-23 record coming into Thursday. Of the 23 defeats, 13 have been by one or two runs. Week ahead: Cubs Thursday: at Pirates, 11:35 a.m., Marquee Friday: at Brewers, 7:10 p.m., Marquee Saturday: at Brewers, 6:10 p.m., Marquee Sunday: at Brewers, 1:10 p.m., Marquee Monday: vs. Giants, 6:40 p.m., Marquee Tuesday: vs. Giants, 6:40 p.m., Marquee Wednesday: vs. Giants, 1:20 p.m., Marquee If the Cubs are going to take their hot April offensive performance into May, maintaining their level of high-quality at-bats and continuing to put pressure on opposing pitching staffs must continue. That approach was especially on display in Tuesday's victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates when the Cubs did not strike out in the game. It represented the first time Cubs hitters avoided striking out in a game since July 3, 2013, at Oakland. Beyond the lack of strikeouts, the Cubs also hit four home runs in the win. The last time the Cubs did that — zero strikeouts and at least four home runs — was May 17, 1977, which marked just the fifth time in team history since 1901. That combination had not happened in a major-league game since the Los Angeles Angels did it on May 13, 2013. The Cubs' 10.0% walk rate is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for fifth-best in the big leagues. 'No strikeouts is kind of what you take away,' manager Craig Counsell said afterward. 'I mean, I know we had some home runs, obviously, and that's great, but to go through a game without any strikeouts, that means we're having good at-bats. To me, (starter Andrew Heaney) was throwing a lot of strikes and nothing was happening. But that second time through, we did a fabulous job of (innings) two through nine, hard contact, good at-bats every single time so we put some pressure on them.' Week ahead: White Sox Thursday: vs. Brewers, 1:10 p.m., CHSN Friday: vs. Astros, 6:40 p.m., CHSN Saturday: vs. Astros, 1:10 p.m., CHSN Sunday: vs. Astros, 1:10 p.m., CHSN Monday: at Royals, 6:40 p.m., CHSN Tuesday: at Royals, 6:40 p.m., CHSN Wednesday: at Royals, 6:40 p.m., CHSN When Luis Robert Jr. has reached base, he's been on the go. The center fielder entered Wednesday leading the American League with 11 stolen bases. 'Every time I get on base, I'm thinking of stealing that base,' Robert said through an interpreter on Tuesday. Robert stole a career-high 23 bases last season. He said his body 'feels good.' 'I hope it feels this way all season,' Robert said. 'I've been running a lot. I've been doing my work in the gym. I've been very diligent in my preparation and hopefully that's something that's going to keep me out of injuries this season.' Robert is still trying to find a groove at the plate, hitting .158 with four home runs and nine RBIs in 27 games coming into Wednesday. 'Even though my offensive production hasn't been at the level I wanted or what I know I can do, I've been able to help this team in other different areas,' Robert said. 'I think that's good. Of course, this is just a month into the season. I think we have to pass this month and then focus on the next month, or at least that's my goal.' What we're reading this morning Quotable 'He's a highly, highly instinctual baseball player, man. I mean, it's where you want to kind of see what's going on inside his head. But he's really good at reading swings. He's got tremendous command of the baseball. We talk about command and put grades on it and use words on it, but it's at the top of 10% of the command in the league.' —
Hamilton Spectator
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Chris Flexen brought up to majors by Chicago Cubs after spending last season with White Sox
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Flexen was brought up to the major leagues by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday after signing a minor league contract in February and making five minor league starts. Chicago selected the contract of the 30-year-old right-hander from Iowa, optioned left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove to the Triple-A farm team and transferred right-hander Javier Assad, who has a strained left oblique, to the 60-day injured list. Flexen joined the NL Central leader after spending last season with the crosstown White Sox, who set a post-1900 record with 121 losses. He has a $1.5 million salary in the major leagues with the Cubs. 'I looked at it as an opportunity to pitch,' Flexen said. 'We had our struggles. It was a tough season, but I made a lot of great relationships there. Now I'm looking forward to being in Chicago again.' Flexen likely be used in middle and long relief after going 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five starts with Iowa. He was 3-15 with a 4.95 ERA in 30 starts and three relief appearances last year for the White Sox, leading the team with 160 innings. 'I'm really excited to be here,' Flexen said. 'Chicago fans are great and I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like on the other side.' ___ AP MLB:
Fox Sports
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Chris Flexen brought up to majors by Chicago Cubs after spending last season with White Sox
Associated Press PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Flexen was brought up to the major leagues by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday after signing a minor league contract in February and making five minor league starts. Chicago selected the contract of the 30-year-old right-hander from Iowa, optioned left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove to the Triple-A farm team and transferred right-hander Javier Assad, who has a strained left oblique, to the 60-day injured list. Flexen joined the NL Central leader after spending last season with the crosstown White Sox, who set a post-1900 record with 121 losses. He has a $1.5 million salary in the major leagues with the Cubs. 'I looked at it as an opportunity to pitch,' Flexen said. 'We had our struggles. It was a tough season, but I made a lot of great relationships there. Now I'm looking forward to being in Chicago again.' Flexen likely be used in middle and long relief after going 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five starts with Iowa. He was 3-15 with a 4.95 ERA in 30 starts and three relief appearances last year for the White Sox, leading the team with 160 innings. 'I'm really excited to be here,' Flexen said. 'Chicago fans are great and I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like on the other side.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
Winnipeg Free Press
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Chris Flexen brought up to majors by Chicago Cubs after spending last season with White Sox
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Flexen was brought up to the major leagues by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday after signing a minor league contract in February and making five minor league starts. Chicago selected the contract of the 30-year-old right-hander from Iowa, optioned left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove to the Triple-A farm team and transferred right-hander Javier Assad, who has a strained left oblique, to the 60-day injured list. Flexen joined the NL Central leader after spending last season with the crosstown White Sox, who set a post-1900 record with 121 losses. He has a $1.5 million salary in the major leagues with the Cubs. 'I looked at it as an opportunity to pitch,' Flexen said. 'We had our struggles. It was a tough season, but I made a lot of great relationships there. Now I'm looking forward to being in Chicago again.' Flexen likely be used in middle and long relief after going 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five starts with Iowa. He was 3-15 with a 4.95 ERA in 30 starts and three relief appearances last year for the White Sox, leading the team with 160 innings. 'I'm really excited to be here,' Flexen said. 'Chicago fans are great and I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like on the other side.' During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. ___ AP MLB:
