Morning Box Score: Cubs Edge Sox

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 27, 2009 3:30PM

If yesterday's game was any indication, this round of the Crosstown Classic promises to hold some of the same excitement we're used to from this series. A back-and-forth game where both teams had chances to score, the Cubs took the first of three on the South Side, edging the Sox 5-4 yesterday. Jermaine Dye belted his 17th homer of the year in the bottom of the first to give the Sox an early 1-0 edge over Randy Wells and the Cubs, but the Cubs got two of their own in the fourth courtesy of surging rookie Jake Fox. The lead didn't last long, though, as Jim Thome homered in the bottom of the same inning to tie the game at 2-2. In the top of the seventh, Jose Contreras - who seemed to have some back issues earlier in the game but was left in - gave up a three-run shot to Geovany Soto, putting the Cubs ahead 5-2.

But the Pale Hose still had some fight left, rallying in the bottom of the eighth against Carlos Marmol, scoring two runs to cut the lead to 5-4. Still in the eighth, the Sox had the bases loaded and one out, but Lou pulled Marmol in favor of Sean Marshall, who got pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski to ground into an inning-and-rally-ending double play. Kevin Gregg stepped in in the ninth to earn the save for the Cubs.

Wells got the win for the Cubs after pitching seven innings and giving up only two runs while striking out six. In spite of earning the loss, Contreras had a good start for the Sox, striking out 8 over 7.1 innings until giving up the game-winning homer to Soto. Said Ozzie of Contreras' performance, "He just made one bad pitch. It cost us the game, but he threw very well." For Soto, it was a chance at a little redemption after being involved in a little controversy in the 24-hours leading up to the game.

Not that it was drama-free for the Cubs. In the sixth inning, after slamming his helmet and taking his anger out on the Gatorade machine a la Zambrano, outfielder Milton Bradley was sent home by Lou, who said, "I'm not happy this happened, but at the same time, it's time." Even before this latest outburst, Bradley had told the Trib's Paul Sullivan:

"This isn't me...I've always excelled at playing baseball, and to come here and suck like I have, it's just not a good feeling. And there's really not one guy who I can sit and talk to. I've been on teams where I have guys I know, or somebody I can just vent to."

Sullivan has more on the outburst and how Milton saw himself fitting into the Cubs.