Are Cubs, White Sox for real? At All-Star Game, division opponents of both teams weighed in
<p>PHILADELPHIA — <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/mlb/2026/07/14/white-sox-miguel-vargas-strikes-blow-for-chicago-with-all-star-hr" target="_blank" >Miguel Vargas’ second-deck home run</a> in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, crushed to left field while Pete Crow-Armstrong was mic’d up in center for the top of the eighth inning on Fox, was a moment for baseball fans in Chicago to savor.</p><p>As was Crow-Armstrong’s base hit pulled through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the same frame, when Vargas, Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami all were in the field defensively.</p><p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox" target="_blank" >White Sox</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs" target="_blank" >Cubs</a> put their stamps on baseball’s first half with winning records, and now their Midsummer Classic moments are in the books, too, after the American League’s 4-0 win.</p><p>It’s time for both teams to move on to more important things.</p><p>With the Sox in a virtual tie atop their division and the Cubs in second place in theirs — and both teams prominently positioned in the wild-card picture should it come to that — there will be levels of playoff fever on both sides of town for much, if not all, of the remaining 60-plus regular-season games.</p><p>Will both teams get into the playoffs for only the fourth time ever and the first in a non-pandemic season since 2008?</p><p>Along the way, how aggressive will each team be leading into the August 3 trade deadline?</p><p>This is kind fun, isn’t it?</p><p>“I love what we’re doing right now,” Vargas said.</p><p>“We’re built to play in the playoffs,” Crow-Armstrong said.</p><p>The Sox’ 50-45 record is the third-best in a down AL. They’re tied in the division with the Guardians, three games up on the Twins, 6½ in front of the Tigers and second in the wild-card standings.</p><p>The start of the second half could be dangerous for a Sox team that has been insatiable at home (31-17) but toothless on the road (19-28).
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>PHILADELPHIA — <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/mlb/2026/07/14/white-sox-miguel-vargas-strikes-blow-for-chicago-with-all-star-hr" target="_blank" >Miguel Vargas’ second-deck home run</a> in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, crushed to left field while Pete Crow-Armstrong was mic’d up in center for the top of the eighth inning on Fox, was a moment for baseball fans in Chicago to savor.</p><p>As was Crow-Armstrong’s base hit pulled through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the same frame, when Vargas, Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami all were in the field defensively.</p><p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox" target="_blank" >White Sox</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs" target="_blank" >Cubs</a> put their stamps on baseball’s first half with winning records, and now their Midsummer Classic moments are in the books, too, after the American League’s 4-0 win.</p><p>It’s time for both teams to move on to more important things.</p><p>With the Sox in a virtual tie atop their division and the Cubs in second place in theirs — and both teams prominently positioned in the wild-card picture should it come to that — there will be levels of playoff fever on both sides of town for much, if not all, of the remaining 60-plus regular-season games.</p><p>Will both teams get into the playoffs for only the fourth time ever and the first in a non-pandemic season since 2008?</p><p>Along the way, how aggressive will each team be leading into the August 3 trade deadline?</p><p>This is kind fun, isn’t it?</p><p>“I love what we’re doing right now,” Vargas said.</p><p>“We’re built to play in the playoffs,” Crow-Armstrong said.</p><p>The Sox’ 50-45 record is the third-best in a down AL. They’re tied in the division with the Guardians, three games up on the Twins, 6½ in front of the Tigers and second in the wild-card standings.</p><p>The start of the second half could be dangerous for a Sox team that has been insatiable at home (31-17) but toothless on the road (19-28). Twelve of the Sox’ next 19 games are away from Rate Field, while the Guardians have 13 of 20 on home turf. If the Sox can keep up with the Guardians into August, though, they’ll be in a strong enough position that general manager Chris Getz could tip the scales with the right pitching acquisition or two at the deadline.</p><p>But who’s the AL Central favorite right now?
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- <p>PHILADELPHIA — <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/mlb/2026/07/14/white-sox-miguel-vargas-strikes-blow-for-chicago-with-all-star-hr" target="_blank" >Miguel Vargas’ second-deck home run</a> in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, crushed to left field while Pete Crow-Armstrong was mic’d up in center for the top of the eighth inning on Fox, was a moment for baseball fans in Chicago to savor.</p><p>As was Crow-Armstrong’s base hit pulled through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the same frame, when Vargas, Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami all were in the field defensively.</p><p>The <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox" target="_blank" >White Sox</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs" target="_blank" >Cubs</a> put their stamps on baseball’s first half with winning records, and now their Midsummer Classic moments are in the books, too, after the American League’s 4-0 win.</p><p>It’s time for both teams to move on to more important things.</p><p>With the Sox in a virtual tie atop their division and the Cubs in second place in theirs — and both teams prominently positioned in the wild-card picture should it come to that — there will be levels of playoff fever on both sides of town for much, if not all, of the remaining 60-plus regular-season games.</p><p>Will both teams get into the playoffs for only the fourth time ever and the first in a non-pandemic season since 2008?</p><p>Along the way, how aggressive will each team be leading into the August 3 trade deadline?</p><p>This is kind fun, isn’t it?</p><p>“I love what we’re doing right now,” Vargas said.</p><p>“We’re built to play in the playoffs,” Crow-Armstrong said.</p><p>The Sox’ 50-45 record is the third-best in a down AL. They’re tied in the division with the Guardians, three games up on the Twins, 6½ in front of the Tigers and second in the wild-card standings.</p><p>The start of the second half could be dangerous for a Sox team that has been insatiable at home (31-17) but toothless on the road (19-28).
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Are Cubs, White Sox for real? At All-Star Game, division opponents of both teams weighed in
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times