[jksander]

September 23, 2025: Yu Darvish (11-10, 4.06 ERA, 159.2 IP, 154 K’s, 1.25 WHIP) got the start against Carlos Rodon (12-11, 3.75 ERA, 168.0 IP, 173 K’s, 1.13 WHIP) in game one against the Yankees, and New York had the lead less than ten minutes in thanks to an RBI single by Austin Hays. But a two-run double by Tauchman gave us the lead back in the top of the third, and we started trading runs back and forth from there. Oswald Peraza hit a two-run blast out of left in the bottom of the fourth to shoot New York back into the lead, but Otto Lopez hit an RBI single to tie it up in the fifth, so New York added on in the bottom of the inning with another two-run bomb out of left, this time by Aaron Judge for his 40th of the season. Jonathan Cannon took over trailing 6-4 with no outs and a runner on first, giving up two more runs before we could get out of the inning, and Kimbrel came out in the sixth, giving up three more as the Yanks took us apart. Steve Smith pitched the rest of the game, and though we put up four runs in the later innings, we were already too deep in the hole to dig out of it. The Yankees won easily, 12-9, outhitting us 18-8, and Darvish took the loss with 10 hits and seven earned runs in just four innings. Tauchman did what he could, but two hits, two walks, three runs and three RBIs weren’t going to be enough to win a game like this.
 
September 24, 2025: Noah Schultz (8-5, 3.39 ERA, 106.1 IP, 104 K’s, 1.01 WHIP) pitched against Max Fried (16-8, 2.96 ERA, 197.2 IP, 190 K’s, 1.11 WHIP), and Schultz was injured in the first bloody inning, Martin Perez taking over with one out and a runner on first. It appears to be a blister, and won’t hinder his offseason plans, but that’s a rough hit to take in a late-season game. Jonathan Cannon took over in the bottom of the fifth with the game still scoreless on both sides, and Syndergaard came out in the sixth. Finally in the top of the seventh an RBI single by Austin Slater pushed us into the lead 1-0, and Kimbrel had a great eighth inning to shut them down and keep us in control. But with a slim one run lead we brought out Eduard Bazardo in the bottom of the ninth with the entire crowd betting against us ... and with one out, Aaron Judge hit a solo homer out of left to tie the game. We managed to get out of there and into extra innings, and we loaded the bases in the top of the 10th, no outs, Chase Meidroth walking in the go-ahead run! Tauchman hit a sac-fly into deep center, driving in another run, and Miguel Vargas hit a line drive into right with two outs, contributing two more runs as we blew this one open. Leading by four runs, Julian Merryweather took over in the bottom of the inning, and though the Yanks loaded the bases, they couldn’t score even the free ghost runner as we shut them down 5-1! Bazardo blew the save, his second, but came out of it with a win, improving to 6-2 with a 2.96 ERA thanks to a two-hit, two strikeout inning with the one run against him. We matched them with seven hits, led by Lipcius who had a hit, a walk and a run scored, while Miguel Vargas added a hit and two RBIs.

Austin Slater reached out after the game and has expressed interest in extending his contract ... the 32-year-old has hit just .202 so far this year but is our most talented defender in both left and right field. But he’s basically an even proposition from a WAR standpoint, so unless we can bring him down a bit on his demands, I’m not sure we can’t find an improvement in the free agent market. We’ve made him a two year offer I think is fair, and will see where that takes us.

September 25, 2025: Ryan Weber (7-10, 4.23 ERA, 151.0 IP, 83 K’s, 1.27 WHIP) pitched in our final game against the Yankees, going up against Marcus Stroman (10-8, 4.11 ERA, 179.2 IP, 144 K’s, 1.27 WHIP). We took the lead quickly, thanks to an RBI single by Tauchman, and we added on with a two-run single by Austin Slater that gave us a 3-0 lead midway through the first. We brought out Penn Murfee to pitch in the sixth with a 6-3 lead, and Syndergaard took over with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh, our lead still at two runs. But that was seemingly the end of our chances in this one ... pinch-hitter Luke Raley hit a grand slam and though Syndergaard got us the out, we went into the eighth inning trailing 8-6. Top of the ninth, however, and Joey Gallo hit into a fielder’s choice, driving in a run, and moments later we tied it up with an RBI single by Miguel Vargas! We hadn’t anticipated the comback, so with Merryweather warming in the pen, Syndergaard stayed out to pitch in the bottom of the inning. They didn’t waste much time, walking it off with a single into center by Austin Wells that scored Aaron Judge for the 9-8 Yankees win. Syndergaard blew the save and took the loss with a 1.2 inning effort with four hits, a strikeout and two earned runs, and we were outhit 14-6 and yet somehow were still in this one. Vargas led the way with two hits, a walk, a run and two RBIs.

September 26, 2025: We’re in Washington for our final series of the season, our 66-93 White Sox facing the 70-89 Nationals for three games. Sean Burke (6-15, 4.65 ERA, 147.0 IP, 165 K’s, 1.38 WHIP) pitched against DJ Herz (6-13, 5.33 ERA, 150.1 IP, 175 K’s, 1.29 WHIP) in game one, and we had a solid 3-1 lead when we switched horses in the sixth inning to bring out Shane Smith. Martin Perez took over in the eighth, and Bazardo got us the save in the ninth as we held tough to win 3-1! Burke will finish his season with a 7-15 record, making it through five innings today with five hits, four walks, five strikeouts and one earned run as his ERA improved to 4.56. We outhit the Nationals 7-6 ,led by Yordys Valdes with two hits, a run and two RBIs.

September 27, 2025: Brandon Pfaadt (10-12, 4.08 ERA, 189.2 IP, 193 K’s, 1.16 WHIP) pitched against MacKenzie Gore (9-10, 3.81 ERA, 177.1 IP, 194 K’s, 1.25 WHIP) in game two, and we took a quick lead in the top of the first with an RBI double by Vargas and a two-run homer by Michael A. Taylor which gives him 20 on the season, by far a career best. We had a 7-2 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, but Pfaadt gave up four runs to the Nationals and we had to bring out Jonathan Cannon with two outs and clear bases to get the final out and protect the now-slim 7-6 lead. It didn’t go well ... Cannon gave up four more runs in the seventh as the Nationals took firm control, but a shootout ensued and we did what we could to stay in it ... Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run triple in the top of the seventh to get us back within a run, and we tied it in the top of the eighth with a solo homer by Austin Slater, his 12th of the season! Julian Merryweather took the ball in the bottom of the eighth with the score knotted at 10-10, and his first batter faced, Josh Bell, unknotted it with a solo homer out of center. They sent us down quietly from there as we lost this one 11-10 in a true slugfest, the Nationals outhitting us 15-11. Taylor finished with three hits, two runs and seven RBIs thanks to his triple and homer, but Merryweather took the loss, and will likely finish his season with a 1-7 record and a 4.92 ERA through 53 innings for us and the Cubs.
 
September 28, 2025: Yu Darvish (11-11, 4.34 ERA, 163.2 IP, 155 K’s, 1.28 WHIP) pitched in our final game, facing Jake Irwin (2-4, 4.84 ERA, 57.2 IP, 55 K’s, 1.37 WHIP). We took the lead in the top of the fourth off a sac-fly by Brandon Valenzuela, and Yordys Valdes reached on an E8 error, allowing us to take a 2-0 lead midway through the inning. Craig Kimbrel took over in the sixth, still leading 2-0, and Syndergaard got us the rest of the way as we domianted the Nationals 4-1 to finish our season with a 68-94 record, a 27-game improvement on our nadir last season. Darvish got the win, allowing two hits with four strikeouts and no runs in the five innings he pitched, with Kimbrel earning his 12th hold as he improved his ERA to 5.85 through 64.2 innings, pitching his final game as a major leaguer. Syndergaard then picked up the three-inning save, his third, as we outhit the Nationals 8-7. Vargas led the way offensively with two hits, a walk and a run, while Yordys Valdes added two hits and an RBI, finishing his rookie campaign with a .218 average.

Austin Slater agreed today to his extension, which will keep the 32-year-old on the southside through the next two seasons. He’ll make $3.5 million next year and $4.25 million in 2027. Heading into the playoffs, we’ve got a handful of expring players who may warrant extensions, including Joey Gallo, bryan Ramos and Lenyn Sosa. We’re then going to have our work cut out for us when it comes to determining an offseason gameplan. What are our biggest holes, and can we make the right moves to be competitive next season in the division, or are we looking at another year in the long rebuild?