Morning Box Score: Cubs Strike First
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 21, 2011 3:00PM
Score one for the North Side. Carlos Pena and Starlin Castro homered and Carlos Zambrano pitched eight crafty innings, giving up only a three-run first inning, as the Cubs took game one of the Crosstown Classic at U.S. Cellular Field.
Castro was magnificent and showed why Cubs brass is high on the second-year shortstop. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and showed off his range and throwing arm in the field. It looked as though the Cubs would be in for a long night as Zambrano gave up an RBI single to Carlos Quentin and a two-run homer to Paul Konerko. But the White Sox' inability to drive in runs bit them in their collective ass once again. the Sox were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and they stranded seven. Gavin Floyd completely broke down in a four-run sixth where Castro and Pena hit their home runs to take the loss. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was ejected in that sixth inning for arguing a Geovany Soto unassisted putout of Alexei Ramirez he believed was a foul tip.