Talkin’ Cubs Live – Cubs vs. White Sox – 05/19/12

Ryan Dempster (0-1, 1.74/0.97) vs. John Danks (2-4, 6.46/1.61)

Updated 1:54pm CDT – Randy Wells Recalled from Triple-A Iowa

Updated 5:47pm CDT – Geovany Soto Placed on 15-Day DL

Dale Sveum will turn to Ryan Dempster to end the Cubs’ four-game losing streak. The Cubs enter play tonight a season-high nine games under .500 in need of a win. With the retirement of Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster is leader in the clubhouse and he needs to lead them to a victory tonight.

The Cubs acquired Koyie Hill from the Reds on Saturday morning for cash considerations. With all of the drama at Wrigley on Friday, no one asked why Welington Castillo was removed in the ninth inning for Blake Lalli. It appears Castillo will miss several days (reports suggest 4-7 days) after an MRI revealed a mild MCL sprain in his right knee. Hill is in the starting lineup and hitting eighth.

The Cubs play a rare Saturday night game at Wrigley. Tonight is the first scheduled Satruday night game at Wrigley since 1998. The Cubs have played two Saturday night games at the old ballyard since but both were makeups as parts of doubleheaders in 2002 and 2011.

This is the first of three straight Saturday night games for the Cubs on FOX Saturday Baseball.

It is game two of round one of the City Series, what does today have in store for the Cubs and White Sox?

Tonight it all starts with Ryan Dempster … Ryan Dempster finally received run support in his last start but he was not able to hold the lead and left after giving up four runs on nine hits with a walk and five strikeouts in six innings to the Cardinals. Dempster received another no decision after allowing a season-high in runs and hits. The Cubs won the game, the first time they posted a victory in a game started by Dempster this season.

Even with the less than quality start against the Cardinals, Ryan Dempster has allowed five earned runs on 18 hits in his last three starts (21 innings) with three walks and 18 strikeouts (2.14 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP).

For as good as Dempster has been this year at Wrigley he has been just a little better. In three home starts, Dempster is 0-1 with a 1.69 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP.

Ryan Dempster is 2-4 in 13 career games, six starts, against the White Sox with a 4.89 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP … Dempster missed the Sox last season and one his only start against the Southsiders in 2010.

White Sox Career Numbers against Ryan Dempster

• Gordon Beckham – 2-for-11 with a walk
• John Danks – 0-for-1
• Alejandro De Aza – 0-for-1
• Adam Dunn – 5-for-17 with a double, two home runs and 10 walks
• Paul Konerko – 2-for-12 with a home run
• A.J. Pierzynski – 7-for-22 with a home run and two walks
• Alexei Ramirez – 6-for-14 with a home run
• Alex Rios – 2-for-3

John Danks is having a bad season but he is facing the Cubs tonight and will bring his A-game. After his best outing of the season against Cleveland on May 8 in which he allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout in seven innings, the Tigers pounded Danks in his last start.

Detroit scored five runs on nine hits in three innings. Danks’ command problems continued as he walked three more and for the first time this season Danks did not strikeout a single batter.

The Cubs must be patient against Danks tonight and not allow him to get comfortable. Danks has dominated the Cubs in his career and loves to stick it to the team that resides on the North Side of Chicago.

John Danks makes his fifth career start against the Cubs tonight. In the first four he is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP … at Wrigley Field, 1-0 in two starts with a 1.38 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. Danks did not face the Cubs last season.

Cubs Career Numbers against John Danks

• Jeff Baker – 0-for-4
• Starlin Castro – 1-for-2
• David DeJesus – 8-for-23 with two doubles and two walks
• Ryan Dempster – 0-for-2
• Reed Johnson – 0-for-3
• Alfonso Soriano – 2-for-8 with a double and two walks
• Geovany Soto – 2-for-10

Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …

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