Opening Day Box Score: Pirates Still Have Cubs Number; White Sox Hang On in Cleveland

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 1, 2011 10:28PM

The Cubs picked up where they left off last season against the Pittsburgh Pirates, by losing to the Bucs 6-3 in the season opener in Wrigley Field. Ryan Dempster was strong through the first four innings and had a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning, but things went south after Neil Walker tagged him for a two out grand slam, the second Opening Day grand slam in Pirates history and the first since Roberto Clemente did it 49 years years ago. Andrew McCutcheon added a two-run shot in the seventh, chasing Dempster out of the game. Starlin Castro was another bright spot for the Cubs, going 3 for 5 at the plate and scoring two runs. Carlos Pena and Kosuke Fukudome drove in the Cubs runs.

In Cleveland, the White Sox got off on the good foot with a 15-10 win over the Indians, but damn if they didn't make things interesting. The Sox came out swinging, building a 14-0 lead through four innings with Mark Buehrle dealing. Then the bats went cold and Buehrle had his one typical bad inning, allowing the Indians into the game against an ineffective relief corps. From the fifth inning on the Tribe outscored the White Sox 10-1. The Sox needed every one of those runs. Adam Dunn paid immediate dividends, going 2 for 4 with a home run. Carlos Quentin, batting behind Dunn, went 3-for 4 with a home run, 5 RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle, while the top of the order set up the big bats well. Juan Pierre and Gordon Beckham scored a combined five runs.