The Morning After
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 23, 2010 3:00PM
Sox Keep Rolling
We imagine Ozzie Guillen is one happy guy right about now. Not even hosting the NL East-leading - and equally hot - Atlanta Braves could stop the White Sox who barreled to their seventh straight win (and 11th in 12 games) with a 9-6 series opening victory over the Braves. Atlanta scored three runs across the first two innings off starter John Danks but the Sox struck back with a five-run second; A.J. Pierzynksi and Omar Vizquel each roped two-run singles and Alex Rios added an RBI as well. After adding a run in the third, the Sox got a huge lift in the fourth when Carlos Quentin belted a three-run homer to put the Sox up 9-3. Danks exited after seven innings and earned his seventh win but the Sox bullpen struggled, giving up three runs over the final two frames, including two in the ninth, before Bobby Jenks came on to record the last out for his 15th save on the year. The Sox hope they can keep the streak going tonight (7:10 p.m., CSN).
Cubs Blanked By M's
The Mariners got the best of the North Siders in a rare Cub visit to the Pacific Northwest, taking game one of the series 2-0. Ryan Dempster had a good outing (8 IP, 2 ER, 8 K), his lone mistake giving up a two-run homer in the sixth, but it wasn't good enough as the Cubs offense - shocker - sputtered. The Cubs had opportunities, including having men on base in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. But, once again, the team couldn't find a way to bring those runs home, dooming them to another loss. The team has been struggling to find any rhythm or consistency, going 7-11 so far in June. Things don't get easier, either, as they've just started a streak of 20 straight days with a game. After wrapping up their series in Seattle, they've got the streaking Sox, a Pirates team they just can't beat, a tough Reds team, and then another West Coast road trip to Arizona and L.A. before hitting the All-Star Break. But it's one game at a time when you're 31-39 and the Cubs try to move forward with baby steps, sending eligible bachelor Randy Wells to the mound tonight (9:10 p.m., WGN).