The Sox completed a sweep on the Left Coast while the Cubs finished a bad season at home with ... another loss. more ›

In something of a pitcher's duel, the Sox got their second straight win, downing the Angels 2-1 in their series opener. The Sox fell behind 1-0 early but Paul Konerko evened up the game in the fifth with a solo shot. Then, in the top of the ninth, still tied 1-1, Juan Pierre walked and Omar Vizquel singled to put two on and Alex Rios drove home Pierre with an RBI single to put the Sox up 2-1. Freddy Garcia gave up a run and struck out five over six innings for the Sox but got a no-decision, the win going to Matt Thornton in relief. Ozzie remained upbeat despite the Sox' elimination from playoff contention earlier this week: "Well, everything you do, you take a little pride about it. You didn't make it to where you want to make it, but you want to finish the best you can." The Sox keep playing for pride later tonight against the Angels once more (8:05 p.m., CSN) more ›

The major league baseball trade deadline looms this weekend and there's sure to be some wheeling and dealing here in Chicago. The White Sox, having leaped to the top of the AL Central, are suddenly buyers while the Cubs are looking like big sellers as they head into 2011 in which they'll hope to start with a new, younger roster and a new manager. Rumors are swirling that Ted Lilly might have pitched his last game as a Cub last night. But one Cub who doesn't appear to be going anywhere is Derrek Lee. The 34-year-old first baseman invoked his rights as a 10-and-5 player (10 years in the league, five with the same team) to nix the trade; Lee also has a no-trade clause in his contract. more ›

John Danks threw a two-hit shutout as the White Sox took the win in a 1-0 pitchers' duel, completing a sweep of the Angels. Danks had a no-hitter going through six before allowing his first hit. The Sox offense wasn't exactly prolific, scoring one run and only managing three hits itself, but with Danks so sharp, it didn't matter. Paul Konerko (who will likely be snubbed from this year's All-Star team in favor of Nick Swisher or Kevin Youkilis) knocked in the game's only run with a sac fly in the first, scoring Juan Pierre. As for Danks, he struck out seven while going the distance for the complete game. The Sox, winners of five in a row and 24-10 since June 1, now sit a half-game out of first place with a three-game series against the Royals between them and the All-Star Break. That series starts tomorrow night at The Cell (7:10 p.m., CSN). more ›

Cubs Sweep D-Backs more ›

Don't look now, but the Cubs have won two in a row after beating Arizona 6-4 last night, another game of good offensive output. Leading the charge was Aramis Ramirez who returned from a stint on the bench due to a sore thumb. Ramirez belted a pair of homers, driving in four of the Cubs' runs. Kosuke Fukudome also added a solo homer. Carlos Silva snapped out of his slump and got his ninth win, his first win in a month, allowing just two runs over six innings. Sean Marshall gave up a pair of runs in the eighth forcing Carlos Marmol to throw almost two innings for the save, but the closer did the job without too much drama. The Cubs face off against the D-backs one more time tonight, hoping they can continue the offensive show in the desert (8:40 p.m., WGN). more ›

Sox Cruise Past Angels more ›

Sox Sweep Again more ›

Sox Keep Streaking more ›

Sox Outlast Nats more ›

Sox Fall Short To Angels more ›

Cubs Foil Phillies more ›

Even with Ted Lilly expected to make an early return, Randy Wells solidified his spot in the Cubs' rotation with another great performance in the Cub's (15-9) 8-1 win over the Reds. Meanwhile, the White Sox (8-15) lit up the Angels early only to give up the game in the later innings en route to a 7-7 tie. Be sure to check in later this week when we offer up our annual team previews ahead of Monday's opening day. more ›

Ted Lilly gave the Cubs another stellar outing as the Cubs took the final game of their weekend series with the Cincinnati Reds by a 5-2 final. Lilly struck out seven over six innings, scattering six hits and not allowing any runs. At the plate, the Cubs had a good day, led by Derek Lee, who hit a solo homer, and Andres Blanco who went 3-for-4 and knocked in two RBIs. The only shaky moment came in the ninth when reliever John Grabow gave up two runs in the ninth but still held on to secure the win. The Cubs now welcome the rival Brewers in for a four-game set, starting tonight at 7:05 p.m. (CSN). more ›

The White Sox mustered an extra-inning 4-3 win yesterday in Anaheim and, more importantly, made a move up in their division, sliding into second place ahead of the Minnesota Twins. John Danks pitched a fantastic game, holding the Angels scoreless over six innings and the Sox were up 3-0 thanks in part to solo home runs from Gordon Beckham and Scott Podsednik. But the Sox bullpen gave away the lead, as Matt Thornton and Bobby Janks combined to give up three runs over the eight and ninth innings, forcing extras. In the top of the 10th, Podesednik came through again for the Sox, scoring on a wild pitch to go up 4-3, a lead they would hold for the victory. The Sox also stand alone in second only five games back of Detroit. The teams decide the series today at 2:35 p.m. (CSN). more ›

It's too little, too late for the playoffs, but the Cubs are finishing the season strong as they won their fourth straight game yesterday by beating the Cincinnati Reds 6-4. Aramis Ramirez had a big day at the plate, going three-for-three and knocking in three runs, including the go-ahead run in the fifth; Geovany Soto also contributed, hitting a two-run homer in the third. Rich Harden had a good, if short, start, pitching only four innings in which he struck out six and allowed one run (but walked five). A Jonny Gomes homer in the fifth tied the game at four, but Ramirez's RBI single in the bottom of that inning gave the Cubs the edge for good and Carlos Marmol earned another save. The teams square off again today at 12:05 (CSN). more ›

Cubs Blow Game To Reds more ›

Soriano Earns Contract more ›

Cubs Slide Continues more ›

We’re usually level-headed about other people’s opinions even if they don’t correlate with ours, and normally hold a live and let live attitude. But then something like this comes along so foam-at-the-mouth-inducing that our fingers tremble with all the rage we must type out. more ›

'Tis the season for free champagne tastings. Get started tonight at the Artisan Cellar (located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart) with a sample of some rare bubblies from 4-6 p.m. Learn all about the history of smothered foods from author Wilbert Jones, the author of Smothered Southern Foods. Jones' lecture, "Smothered - Southern Style" is being held Saturday at the Chicago History Museum, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Chicago. The lecture... more ›

Chicagoist certainly doesn't envy White Sox GM Kenny Williams and the difficult task he has to rebuild a team that lost 90 games in 2007. On Tuesday, he once again was overmatched by the opposition and missed the ball on potential help for his club. Recent reports suggested that the Sox were close to landing third baseman Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins — a player that Ozzie Guillen referred to as his "fourth son."... more ›

The White Sox traded starting pitcher Jon Garland to the Anaheim Angels on Monday in return for shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera, 33, hit .301 with 86 RBIs for the Angels while also winning his second Gold Glove award for his fielding. Garland, 28, went 10-13 for the White Sox while posting a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts. This move creates as many questions as it does answers for the Sox. We wonder what Kenny Williams... more ›

Ah, it's like shootin' fish in a barrel over at Chicagoist EOYW headquarters. We know how passionate you guys can get about these things, so we'll cut right to the chase: more ›

Waaaay back when we were still aspiring animators, just getting over our Disney / WB phase and into our Fleischer Studios / Ralph Bakshi / Nelvana phase, Bill Plympton's early MTV cartoon shorts made a really big impact on us. We specifically remember "How to Kiss" and "25 Ways to Quit Smoking," two cartoons filled with dark whimsy and a loose line style allowing a freedom of movement, and a realistic mimicry of the absurd... more ›

Angels will get their wings this Saturday night at Custom House. From 6-9 p.m. Shawn McClain's South Loop steakhouse is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Blue Sky Inn. Frequent shoppers at area farmers markets might be familiar with Blue Sky Inn for the work they do with their transitional work program, "A Taste of Success." The program hires and trains homeless youth in baking pastries, which are then sold at farmers markets and through catering... more ›

We’ve already been involved in a tumultuous love/hate relationship with the new Dominick’s on Chicago Avenue in Ukrainian Village, so we thought we were perhaps not alone in finding a love connection at the ole grocery store. So today, we bring you this grocery edition of the Monday Missed Connections, with all sorts of accounts of people making eyes at or around the meat counter. Paging jeans and T-shirt guy: missed connection in aisle four.... more ›

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own... more ›

That's how many people are working illegally in this country, at least according to some estimates. Others put it closer to seven, depending on who you ask, and when. It's hard to get a handle on the actual number because most undocumented workers aren't too keen on standing up and being counted. Yesterday afternoon Elvira Arellano was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency charged with, among other things, keeping people from washing... more ›

LAist is experimenting with blogging dates from J-Date, but finds the best men are found offline. Some date vicariously online and that is one reason why porn is big -- really freaking big -- so they ask if they should cover XXX since the heart of it lays in the city's San Fernando Valley. A writer grapples with her food porn photography obsession, another gets censored on Flickr, one gets scooped by the LA... more ›