'Eloy style' haunts Cubs in White Sox sweep

CHICAGO -- Eloy Jiménez issued a little bit of an ominous warning before Sunday night’s 9-3 victory for the White Sox (66-46) over the Cubs, completing a three-game sweep of their crosstown rival.

“I feel good,” said the White Sox left fielder. “Getting back to Eloy style.”

"Eloy style" is always bad news for the Cubs, the team who originally signed and began to develop Jiménez and then traded him to the White Sox as part of a four-player return for José Quintana on July 13, 2017. It’s now Jiménez serving as one of the prime offensive forces of the American League Central leaders, who hold a 10 1/2-game advantage on the Indians, while the Cubs (52-61) embark on another rebuild or reconfiguration.

On Sunday, Jiménez joined Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn with home runs in the first inning against Cubs starter Zach Davies. Jiménez, who missed the first 99 games this season following surgery to repair a ruptured left pectoral tendon, finished with two home runs, one double and five RBIs, all in his first three at-bats. He also has five home runs and 10 RBIs in 10 career games against the Cubs, not to mention 11 homers and 28 RBIs in 37 Interleague games.

But for Jiménez, being part of a potent, championship-caliber lineup for the most part topples any memories of beating the team that traded him away.

“That is in the past but I honestly had it in my mind, you know?” said Jiménez, flashing the same smile he showed off pregame via Zoom. “I feel really good but I need to move forward. This is in the past. Just keep working hard and be successful.

“It was exciting, especially because we win. That’s the most important thing right now. I feel happy. I feel excited.”

Dylan Cease earned the victory, the same Cease who happened to be part of that Cubs return for Quintana in 2017. The right-hander improved to 9-6, striking out 10 over five innings and allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. Cease recorded 13 swings and misses, per Statcast, fanning the last four he faced and five of the last six hitters.

Cease called Sunday one of the more exciting games of his career, with the plethora of White Sox fans among the thousands making their presence felt early and often.

“I was pretty inefficient and it wasn't my sharpest game, but to get the win is really all that matters,” Cease said. “This year I'm just executing pitches more consistently.

“Even if I have a stretch where I'm not getting ahead or filling up the zone as much, I'm still making big pitches in some spots that are able to help me get through it. For me, I feel like I'm a totally different pitcher than I was last year."

Anderson’s 11th home run, featuring a 104 mph exit velocity per Statcast, came on the first pitch of the game. The shortstop was scheduled to get the night off, but talked his way back into the lineup for this nationally televised game on ABC.

On the postgame Zooms, manager Tony La Russa and Anderson explained how the shortstop found something in pregame work with hitting coach Frank Menechino and wanted to put it to the test. His discovery was one of the Cubs’ losses on this evening.

“I found the barrel,” said Anderson with a smile, after finishing a triple short of the cycle.

“Actually, when we mentioned it last night, the coaches, we thought that this is a game [off],” La Russa said. “But he came in early with Frank and did some work, and he found something. So Leury [García] gladly gave up his spot, and he had a heck of a day."

With this game being televised nationally, the White Sox made a statement about the power they possess.

People got to see Vaughn make two nice catches in right field, while also driving in three. They got to see Jiménez quickly rounding back into top form, and remember, center fielder Luis Robert returns Monday night in Minnesota and catcher Yasmani Grandal is not far behind. So what did this weekend prove, aside from the White Sox being far better than the Cubs as expected?

It was summed up succinctly by Anderson.

“We’re dangerous,” Anderson said. “Once everything is clicking, we’re dangerous. But no matter what TV it’s on, we should go out and perform and have fun with it.”