Big Weekend Of Baseball

By Marcus Gilmer in Miscellaneous on Aug 8, 2008 3:00PM

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend, according to Chicago Weather Godfather Tom Skilling, and both of Chicago's MLB teams are at home for important series. Up on the North Side, the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry (tied at three games apiece this season) is renewed this weekend when Ted Lilly squares off against Braden Looper. The Cubs have been on a hot-streak, winning eight of their last ten and widening their NL Central lead to five games over the Brewers and six over the Cards. Carlos Zambrano is scheduled to take the mound for the Cubs tomorrow while Ryan Dempster will start on Sunday. The current incarnation of the Cubs rotation is 43-23 so far this year.

Down at Comiskey U.S. Cellular Field, it's a possible playoff preview and a battle of the Sox as the AL Central leading White Sox take on the Wild Card leading Boston Red Sox in a four-game set. While the Pale Hose lost to Detroit last night, 8-3, they still sit on top of the division over Minnesota by a half-game. Boston trails the upstart Tampa Rays in the AL East, but have won four of their last five. Mark Buehrle takes the hill for the White Sox tonight, taking on Jon Lester. The rest of the White Sox's starters for the series are Jose Contreras (Saturday), Gavin Floyd (Sunday), and John Danks (Monday). It's the first meeting between these two teams this season.