Morning Box Score: D-Backs Bite Cubs, Sox Woes Evident

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 29, 2011 2:30PM

MLB.com's Scott Merkin called the White Sox' completed road trip "thoroughly forgettable." We disagree. It was memorable for just how feeble the hitters looked for the 11 games. Case in point, during the first inning of the Sox' 12-3 loss to the Yankees in the Bronx they had runners at second and third with no one out and couldn't score. That type of futility -- the team was 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base -- gives the pitchers a very small margin of error. Edwin Jackson blew up in the decisive fifth inning, struggling with his control and unable to get batters out.

Meanwhile, the Cubs traveled to the desert and Ryan Dempster looked like toast in an 11-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dempster gave up seven runs in one-third of an inning, the shortest outing of his careers, the big blow a grand slam to Steven Drew. Dempster also walked four and hit one. Right now, Dempster just doesn't have the goods.