Swanson and Crow-Armstrong help the Cubs beat the White Sox for a franchise-record 7th straight time

CHICAGO (AP) — Dansby Swanson homered and Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in two more runs to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Saturday.

Miguel Amaya also had two RBIs as the NL Central-leading Cubs improved to 4-1 on a six-game homestand. Matthew Boyd (4-2) struck out eight while pitching six innings of three-run ball.

The Cubs set a franchise record with their seventh consecutive victory against the White Sox. The all-time series between the crosstown rivals is tied at 74 wins apiece.

Chase Meidroth and Tim Elko went deep for the last-place White Sox in their third consecutive loss. Sean Burke (2-5) allowed five earned runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Meidroth led off the game with a drive to left for his first career homer. But the Cubs grabbed control with four runs in the second.

Walks by Moisés Ballesteros and Nico Hoerner loaded the bases for Amaya, who lined a two-run single into left field. With two out and runners on second and third, Crow-Armstrong lined another two-run single to center.

Crow-Armstrong homered and drove in a career-high six runs in Friday’s 13-3 victory in the series opener. The 23-year-old center fielder is batting .327 (18 for 55) with six homers and 17 RBIs in his last 14 games.

Swanson hit his 10th homer in the fifth, and the Cubs got another run when Vidal Bruján was credited with a ground-rule RBI double on a flyball to right that was misplayed by Joshua Palacios.

Key moment

Elko led off the fifth with a 425-foot drive to center for his second homer. But Boyd retired the next three batters, striking out Palacios and Michael A. Taylor before Meidroth bounced to second.

Key stat

The Cubs finished with 11 walks, including three for Kyle Tucker.

Up next

White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon (2-4, 3.60 ERA) and Cubs right-hander Colin Rea (3-0, 2.48 ERA) take the mound for the series finale on Sunday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb