This round of the City Series arrives as the July 31 trade deadline nears. The Cubs are in a position to buy while the White Sox will be looking to sell.

The Chicago White Sox boast a major-league-best 61 runs since the All-Star break and have gone 6-1 over that span.

The Cubs ’ lineup had a bit of a different look Friday against White Sox right-hander Adrian Houser, who is in the midst of the best season of his career. Switch-hitting Vidal Brujan got the start at third base over Matt Shaw, and left-handed-hitting Reese McGuire started behind the plate.

Starting pitcher Jameson Taillon threw 47 pitches during a bullpen session Friday at Wrigley Field, per the Cubs. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 4 with a right calf strain. Prior to his injury, Taillon had a 4.44 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 95.1 innings, including 10 quality starts.

Here is what the Cubs are "desperate" for at the July 31 trade deadline, though there is a catch to the notion.

When the Chicago Cubs are good, you can feel it, and this season, the energy is palpable because the Cubs have been one of baseball’s best teams. The atmosphere around Wrigley Field has reached playoff levels as the calendar gets close to August — a sign that good baseball is being played at the Friendly Confines.

Kansas City is 25-26 in road games and 49-52 overall. Royals pitchers have a collective 3.50 ERA, which ranks second in MLB play. The teams play Tuesday for the second time this season.

The Cubs, the City of Chicago, and Major League Baseball are set to officially announce next week that Wrigley Field has been awarded the 2027 All-Star Game. Sun-Times sources confirmed the rollout, which will include officials from all parties, is scheduled for Aug. 1, as Crain’s Chicago Business reported Wednesday night.