Morning Box Score: Danks Blanks Cubs
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 29, 2009 3:00PM
After a pair of back-and-forth offensive battles, the second round of the Crosstown Classic closed with a killer pitching performance from White Sox starter John Danks dominated the Cubs lineup en route to a 6-0 shutout to take the game and the series. Danks gave up four hits and struck out five over the first seven innings, completely shutting down the Cubs offense; reliever Scott Linebrink pitched two hitless innings to close the game out. Overall, Danks is 2-0 versus the Cubs this year, striking out 14 and allowing only one run over 14 innings pitched. Said Danks after the game, "I didn't throw as many strikes this time around, but I feel like I was still able to make the big pitch when I had to and guys were making plays all over the field for me."
As for the Cubs, it was a surreal weekend that the North Siders are glad to see end. Said Sweet Lou afterward, "It wasn't one of [Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano's] stellar games, no. Actually, it wasn't a good game for us period, we didn't play a good game at all. You don't mind getting beat like we did Saturday, but today wasn't good baseball." Zambrano got roughed up, giving up five runs in 5.1 innings pitched. Alexei Ramirez put the Sox on the board in the third with a two-run homer, his 10th of the year. The Sox batted in a few more runs over a course of the next couple of innings, including the first official steal of home by a Sox player in almost four years when Chris Getz took advantage of a wild Zambrano pitch in the sixth. Jermaine Dye clobbered his 18th homer of the year, a solo shot, in the eighth, to push the Sox further ahead.
The Sox have won 7 of their last 11 and find themselves five games back of Detroit as they head out on the road to Cleveland and Kansas City. As for the Cubs, they're not exactly in turmoil, but they're definitely struggling. The North Siders have lost six of seven and are dealing with clubhouse issues ranging from Lou vs Milton to a new call for Zambrano to be traded. And, yet, at two games under .500 and in fourth place in the division, the Cubs find themselves only 3.5 games out of first with a series in Pittsburgh to start the week, followed by an 11-game homestand leading into the All-Star Break.
Tonight's games:
White Sox @ Cleveland, 6:05 p.m., CSN
Cubs @ Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m., WCIU