Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs: Final Score & Recap

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Chicago White Sox 8-1 on February 23, 2024 at Sloan Park, a result that saw the DiamondIQ model's estimate of a Cubs win climb from a pre-game 54 percent all the way to 100 percent by the final out. The game turned decisively in the bottom of the first inning, where the Cubs did the bulk of their damage against Jesse Chavez. Christopher Morel connected on a home run off Chavez that added 3.6 percent to Chicago's win probability, and Joe Hudson followed with a double worth 3.9 percent. The most impactful single play of the game, however, came from Ian Happ, whose groundout in that same first frame registered a 9.8 percent swing in the Cubs' favor, reflecting how the sequence of events loaded pressure onto the White Sox early. The Cubs added two more runs in the fifth inning to push their total to eight, while the White Sox managed just one run across nine innings on four hits.

Among the standout performers by the DiamondIQ model's metrics, Happ led all batters with a cumulative WPA of plus-10.3 percent. Joe Hudson contributed a plus-7.1 percent WPA alongside a RE24 of plus-4.1, the strongest run-expectancy mark among position players on either side. Alexander Canario also stood out, posting a plus-8.0 percent WPA on the strength of a forceout in the second inning off Joe Barlow that added 8.8 percent to the Cubs' win probability. On the pitching side, Hunter Bigge was the top contributor at plus-10.3 percent WPA, aided in part by a strikeout of Nicky Lopez in the top of the second that swung win probability 10.3 points in Chicago's direction. Caleb Kilian added another plus-5.1 percent, helping the Cubs hold the White Sox to a single run on the afternoon.