The Opener: White Sox, Skubal, Sosa, Doubleheaders

The White Sox improved to 71-63 after Friday’s 7-4 victory over the Twins, making some unique history in the process. As per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, the 71 wins are the most of any team in history coming off at least three consecutive 100-loss seasons. Chicago’s unlikely rise from doormat to division leader has been one of the top stories of 2026, and between the Sox victory and the Guardians’ 3-0 loss to the Royals, the White Sox now lead the AL Central by 3.5 games. 1. Skubal shines in Detroit return Less than a month removed from the blockbuster trade that sent Tarik Skubal from the Tigers to the Dodgers, the ace made his return to Comerica Park on Friday and soaked in some cheers from the Detroit fans. Skubal also delivered a quality start for the fourth time in five outings as a Dodger, as he held the Tigers to one run on four hits while striking out seven over six innings. It was only enough for a no-decision, since Los Angeles didn’t take the lead until Freddie Freeman‘s RBI single in the eighth inning proved to be the deciding hit in a 2-1 L.A. win. The Dodgers hold a nine-game lead over the Padres in the NL West, while the fading Tigers are 2-11 in their last 13 games and are now 5.5 games back of the last AL wild card slot. 2. Phillies score another wild late win Wade Meckler made a spectacular catch to rob Bryson Stott of a three-run homer in the ninth inning of last night’s game between the Angels and Phillies. Stott was the second out of the inning, so it seemed like the Halos had avoided the crisis…until two batters later, when Edmundo Sosa‘s pinch-hit grand slam put Philadelphia ahead for good in an eventual 5-3 victory. This type of late drama is becoming almost routine for the Phillies, as The Athletic’s Jayson Stark notes that this was the fourth time this season Philadelphia has hit a go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth. The Phillies are 11-2 in their last 13 games and comfortably hold a wild card position, but the club remains five games back in the NL East race since the first-place Braves have won five in a row. 3. Double the twin bills Somewhere, Ernie Banks is smiling. Two doubleheaders are scheduled for today’s action, as the Red Sox face the Yankees twice and the Diamondbacks will play two against the Giants. The nightcap in the Bronx will feature the return of Max Fried, as the southpaw is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list after missing just the minimum amount of time recovering from a bone bruise in his left elbow. The two bitter rivals are both in wild card positions, with the Yankees holding a three-game lead over Boston following Friday’s 1-0 win. Over in San Francisco, the Diamondbacks improved to 9-2 over the Giants this season with a 10-6 victory on Friday. Merrill Kelly and Mitch Bratt are the scheduled starters for an Arizona team that is just a half-game behind the Padres for the final NL wild card berth. View Comments (0)