Swept

The White Sox returned the favor from a week ago and swept the Cubs for the first time in the 11-year history of Interleague play at the Cell. All 5 of the Sox runs came via the long ball and with the 3 they hit on Sunday night have now out homered their opponents on the season 109-67. Mark Buehrle tossed a 6-hit, 7-inning gem, struck out 5 and walked only 2. The Cubs managed only 1 unearned run and left 7 more runners on base for a 3-game total of 24. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were a combined 0-for-7 with a walk on the night. Ramirez was hitless in the 3-game series, 0-for-13.

Sean Marshall made two mistakes in his 7 innings of work….a solo home run by Carlos Quentin in the 4th and a 2-run shot by Brian Anderson in the 5th. Marshall gave up 3 other hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. Jose Ascanio made his first appearance since being recalled on Saturday. A 2-out walk in the 8th to Jermaine Dye opened the door for a 2-run home run by Jim Thome that put the game away. Cubs’ pitching walked two batters on the night and they both scored on home runs.

Lou Piniella was ejected from the game for the first time this season in the 2nd inning for arguing a check swing call with first base umpire Chad Fairchild. Fairchild missed the call on Joe Crede, Piniella argued and was ejected by home plate umpire Rob Drake. Drake missed a couple of calls early in the game that replay showed were strikes. Piniella appeared to be voicing his displeasure on a check swing, was told to stop, turned around and headed back to the dugout but was still ejected.

The Cubs lost their fourth game in a row for the first time this season and finished their worst week of the season with a 1-5 record….and split the 6 games with the Sox, both teams won all 3 games in their home park. The Cubs offense could not come through with a hit on Sunday night. They hit into 4 more double plays, including one in the 9th with runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs. Jim Edmonds smoked a liner to Nick Swisher at 1st base and after a pause, he threw a strike to Orlando Cabrera at 2nd base to double off Mark DeRosa….that play summed up the entire weekend.

The Cubs’ lone run came in the 7th inning after an error by Joe Crede. Mark DeRosa hit a hard grounder under the legs of the Sox third baseman, DeRosa hustled to 2nd with 1-out and the Cubs down 3-0. Jim Edmonds blooped a single into center, DeRosa advanced to 3rd but Henry Blanco flied out to shallow center for the second out. Ronny Cedeno drove in DeRosa from 3rd with a single to left center. Kosuke Fukudome struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Cubs were outplayed the entire weekend in every aspect of the game by a White Sox team that is very good at home. They were out hit, out pitched and out hustled while finishing a stretch of games very reminiscent of the nine they played that led up to the 9-0 pounding at the hands of the Reds on May 7th….a 3-6 record. The road has been less than kind to Lou Piniella’s crew this season and it will not get any easier, but they have to figure out a way to win on Monday night in San Francisco….and build from there.

Kerry Wood Sums Up the Weekend on
The South Side
Clip from Awful Announcing

The Cubs will finish June, the way it started with a trip out west. Ted Lilly is scheduled to face Barry Zito and the Giants in the first of four on Monday night by the Bay at AT & T Park.