Here are some of the Chicago sports stories you may have missed from the weekend.
Cubs
Over the weekend the Cubs lost a series 2-1 to the Cincinnati Reds, with pitching being a serious concern, as the Cubs gave up 22 runs over three games.
In their lone win from the Reds series, the Cubs put up eight runs to overcome the Reds, and were boosted with a surprise relief pitching appearance from one Tyler Chatwood.
Yu Darvish has shown signs of being able to turn things around, with his cutter looking like it could lead to a bounce back season. Ultimately, fans will be holding their breath, hoping that Kris Brynat is healthy following his collision in the outfield with Jason Heyward on Sunday. While we wait for updates, fans no doubt have plenty to think about courtesy of manager Joe Maddon. The always quotable Maddon had some interesting things to say on the popularity of the MLB game and the MLB's absurd home run rate.
White Sox
The White Sox had quite the eventful week despite being beat handily in three straight games by the AL Central leading Minnesota Twins.
News
Before the tough series against the Twins, the White Sox split a series with the Astros, getting a gem of a complete game performance from Lucas Giolito. The south siders suffered a huge blow to their catching depth as Wellington Castillo went to the IL, resulting in a call up from Seby Zavala.
Other sports
The Blackhawks have made some signings this offseason, but have yet to formally announce them. There are lots of huge decisions looming over the franchise this offseason, including what to do with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Our Charlie Roumeliotis tackles these topics and much more in our latest Blackhawks Mailbag.
There has been much discussion over what the Bulls should do with the No. 7 pick in the draft. Our Mark Strotman did a deep dive into the history of the Bulls moving up and down in the draft to give us an idea of what may lie ahead.
We also discussed the draft with ESPN college basketball analyst Jordan Cornette, and did breakdowns of some of the options the Bulls could have with their second round pick, their first round pick and if they were to trade down in the draft.
Khalil Mack could be in for an even bigger season next year following an offseason full of practices with the Bears creative coaching staff. Our JJ Stankevitz breaks down just how Mack can reach his absolute peak in 2019.
