Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox edged out the Chicago Cubs 4-2 in a game marked by careful use of replay challenges that subtly influenced the flow early and maintained defensive sharpness late. The White Sox and Cubs combined for five total challenges, with the White Sox successfully overturning one of two attempts, and the Cubs reversing one of three, reflecting a balanced but cautious approach to leveraging ABS review opportunities. Both teams found value in correcting calls on borderline strike decisions in the opening inning, setting a tone for close scrutiny of the strike zone in the afternoon contest.

Two pivotal early overturns came in the bottom of the first inning, both adjusting critical strike counts for the respective hitters Miguel Amaya of the Cubs and Korey Lee of the White Sox. These challenges, both turning called strikes into balls, altered the batter’s counts from 2-2 to 1-3 and from 2-1 to 1-2, respectively. By shifting these counts before the plate appearances concluded, the reviews influenced the at-bat dynamics and, by extension, the game's rhythm during a period with heightened offensive activity. Notably, these early adjustments demonstrated the teams' willingness to use ABS to refine strike calls that would have consequential at-bat effects without disrupting game tempo unduly.