Chi Cubs (34-35) at Chi White Sox (35-37)

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chc

Cubs return to Chicago for 'away' game

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
The Cubs return to Chicago Friday for a three-game Interleague series against their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, at U.S. Cellular Field. The two teams split a rain-abbreviated series in May at Wrigley Field.
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Cubs probable pitcher

Randy Wells

  • #36 RHP
  • (1-3) 2.57 ERA 35 SO
The rookie right-hander finally picked up his first Major League win in his last start against the Indians. Wells had allowed three or fewer runs in six of his seven starts, but was the winner in a 6-2 decision against the Indians. He's thrown strikes, which is all the Cubs ask. Against Cleveland, he gave up two runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and struck out three. Wells should have the shaving cream off his face by this game -- he received the celebratory pie in the face after his first win.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 1-3 2.32 54.1 14 36 .221
Season 1-3 2.57 49.0 11 35 .239
June 1-1 3.38 24.0 4 12 .236

Series at a Glance

Standings - 06/26/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Chicago Cubs (NL Central) 34 35 .493 3.5 21-13 13-22
Chicago White Sox (AL Central) 35 37 .486 6.0 18-19 17-18
Stats - 06/26/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
CHC .247 292 76 278 29 531 3.87 621.2 554 274 542
CWS .251 308 83 299 44 473 4.07 638.1 637 242 505
cws

Sox-Cubs familiar, but tension still high

Jesse Temple / MLB.com
When the White Sox and Cubs begin a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday, the hope is that the buzz inside the stadium will return, just as it has for series in years past.
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White Sox probable pitcher

Jose Contreras

  • #52 RHP
  • (2-6) 5.23 ERA 30 SO
Make it three quality starts for the big right-hander since his return from a five-start stint with Triple-A Charlotte, in which the veteran was looking to simply throw and regain the feel for his pitches. Contreras watched the longest scoreless innings streak of his career end at 19 2/3 and his two-game winning streak also came to a close courtesy of Brandon Phillips' two-run home run during Friday's 4-3 loss to the Reds. Contreras yielded three runs on nine hits over six innings, striking out two and not issuing a walk. In his three starts since rejoining the White Sox rotation, Contreras has allowed 12 hits and three runs over 22 innings, fanning 13 and walking three. Contreras has a 2-3 record and 6.08 ERA over six starts against the Cubs, with 10 home runs allowed in 37 innings.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 67-56 4.60 1003.2 360 723 .259
Season 2-6 5.23 51.2 19 30 .255
June 2-1 1.23 22.0 3 13 .158

Cubs hitters vs Jose Contreras

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Adduci, James - - - - - - - -
Baker, Jeff - - - - - - - -
Blanco, Andres - - - - .000 12 0 0
Bradley, Milton - - - - .267 15 1 3
Castillo, Welington - - - - - - - -
Colvin, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Fontenot, Mike - - - - .364 11 2 2
Fox, Jake - - - - 1.000 3 1 2
Fukudome, Kosuke - - - - .333 9 0 1
Fuld, Sam - - - - - - - -
Hill, Koyie - - - - .333 3 0 0
Hoffpauir, Micah - - - - .000 3 0 0
Lee, Derrek - - - - .211 19 0 1
Miles, Aaron - - - - .000 4 0 0
Ramirez, Aramis - - - - .412 17 4 10
Soriano, Alfonso - - - - .417 12 3 4
Soto, Geovany - - - - .500 8 2 4
Theriot, Ryan - - - - .000 1 0 0

White Sox hitters vs Randy Wells

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Armstrong, Cole - - - - - - - -
Beckham, Gordon - - - - .500 2 0 0
De Aza, Alejandro - - - - .333 9 0 0
Flowers, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Gartrell, Stefan - - - - - - - -
Konerko, Paul - - - - .000 3 0 0
Kotsay, Mark - - - - - - - -
Lillibridge, Brent - - - - - - - -
Nix, Jayson - - - - - - - -
Pierzynski, A.J. - - - - - - - -
Quentin, Carlos - - - - - - - -
Ramirez, Alexei - - - - .000 3 0 0
Rios, Alex - - - - - - - -
Teahen, Mark - - - - - - - -
Viciedo, Dayan - - - - - - - -

Cubs dial neighbors long distance (35-35) (35-38)

Cubs 5, White Sox 4

Fox, Soto deliver

Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
A day after hitting his first career homer, Jake Fox went 3-for-4 with a two-run shot, and Geovany Soto unlocked a tie game with a three-run dinger in the seventh, which stood up to hold off a late Sox rally. Randy Wells earned the win, allowing just two solo homers in seven innings.

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Series at a Glance

 
Derrek Lee and Jake Fox celebrate Fox's two-run homer. (AP)

Rally not to be

Scott Merkin / MLB.com
Jim Thome kept the Sox rallying, with a game-tying homer in the fourth and a two-run double in an eighth-inning comeback effort that fell just short. Jose Contreras showed signs of a spectacular start, but his two homers allowed produced all five Cubs runs, and he took the loss.
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Cubs 5, White Sox 4

Chi Cubs AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Soriano, A, LF 4 0 0 0 1 3 1 .228
Fukudome, CF 5 0 1 0 0 1 3 .262
Bradley, RF 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 .237
  Freel, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .147
Lee, D, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 .289
Hoffpauir, M, DH 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 .259
Fox, J, 3B 4 2 3 2 0 0 2 .395
  Theriot, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .284
Fontenot, 2B-3B 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 .219
Soto, C 4 1 2 3 0 0 0 .232
Blanco, A, SS-2B 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 .234
Totals 36 5 8 5 2 10 12  

BATTING
2B: Fox, J (5, Contreras), Blanco, A (4, Thornton).
HR: Fox, J (2, 4th inning off Contreras, 1 on, 2 out), Soto (7, 7th inning off Contreras, 2 on, 1 out).
TB: Fukudome; Lee, D; Fox, J 7; Soto 5; Blanco, A 2.
RBI: Fox, J 2 (11), Soto 3 (24).
2-out RBI: Fox, J 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Fontenot; Fox, J; Fukudome.
Team RISP: 1-for-6.
Team LOB: 6.

BASERUNNING
SB: Fukudome (6, 2nd base off Contreras/Castro, R).

FIELDING
DP: 2 (Fox, J-Fontenot-Lee, D, Lee, D-Soto-Lee, D).
 
Chi White Sox AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Podsednik, LF 5 0 2 0 0 1 2 .307
Ramirez, A, SS 3 1 0 0 1 0 2 .258
Dye, RF 4 1 2 1 0 1 1 .282
Thome, DH 2 1 2 3 2 0 0 .249
  1-Nix, J, PR-DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .219
Konerko, 1B 3 0 0 0 1 1 3 .292
Castro, R, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .229
  a-Pierzynski, PH-C 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .289
Getz, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 .236
Anderson, Br, CF 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .237
  b-Wise, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .186
Beckham, 3B 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 .183
  c-Fields, PH 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .233
Totals 31 4 7 4 6 8 11  

a-Grounded into a double play for Castro, R in the 8th. b-Grounded out for Anderson, Br in the 9th. c-Walked for Beckham in the 9th.
1-Ran for Thome in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Thome (8, Marmol).
HR: Dye (17, 1st inning off Wells, R, 0 on, 2 out), Thome (13, 4th inning off Wells, R, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Podsednik 2; Dye 5; Thome 6; Beckham.
RBI: Dye (43), Thome 3 (42).
2-out RBI: Dye.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Konerko.
GIDP: Ramirez, A; Pierzynski.
Team RISP: 2-for-4.
Team LOB: 6.

BASERUNNING
SB: Podsednik (11, 2nd base off Wells, R/Soto).
CS: Beckham (2, 2nd base by Wells, R/Soto).

FIELDING
E: Konerko (1, fielding).
 
Chi Cubs IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Wells, R (W, 2-3) 7.0 5 2 2 2 6 2 2.57
Marmol (H, 15) 0.1 2 2 2 3 0 0 3.93
Marshall (H, 2) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.28
Gregg (S, 12) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 4.05
 
Chi White Sox IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Contreras (L, 2-7) 7.1 7 5 4 1 8 2 5.19
Thornton 1.2 1 0 0 1 2 0 2.43

IBB: Thome (by Wells, R), Konerko (by Marmol), Lee, D (by Contreras), Soriano, A (by Thornton).
Pitches-strikes: Wells, R 98-67, Marmol 24-10, Marshall 1-1, Gregg 22-12, Contreras 103-65, Thornton 33-22.
Groundouts-flyouts: Wells, R 8-6, Marmol 0-1, Marshall 2-0, Gregg 1-0, Contreras 6-8, Thornton 2-1.
Batters faced: Wells, R 26, Marmol 6, Marshall 1, Gregg 4, Contreras 31, Thornton 7.
Inherited runners-scored: Marshall 3-0, Thornton 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Bill Miller. 1B: Angel Campos. 2B: Brian Runge. 3B: Derryl Cousins.
Weather: 73 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 9 mph, L to R.
T: 2:26.
Att: 39,015.
June 26, 2009

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner