Stanley Cup to make Wrigley visit at Sunday's game

There will a world-championship team at Wrigley Field on Sunday night.

The Blackhawks will be honored in a pregame ceremony, and they'll bring the Stanley Cup with them. The festivities will get under way at 6:45 p.m. in advance of the 7:05 game. The Cubs-White Sox game will be televised nationally by ESPN.

Select Blackhawks will throw out a ceremonial first pitch and lead the crowd in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch. Following Blackhawks tradition, Jim Cornelison will sing the national anthem. That should bring the house down and unite both Cubs and Sox fans.

Before Friday's series opener between the Cubs and Sox, the Wrigley Field crowd cheered during the anthem.

Getting Wells right: The Cubs believe they've found something with Randy Wells' delivery that might be causing his recent problems, especially out of the stretch.

"I had a nice conversation today with Larry Rothschild," manager Lou Piniella said, referring to the pitching coach. "We talked today for about a half-hour. We found something on film that will help him, off the stretch.

"Notice that when he has his troubles, or has had his troubles, there's a guy on base. When he's going good off the windup, he gets 1-2-3 innings. We feel that Larry hit on something that will help him off the stretch."

Wells is 3-5 with a 5.15 ERA, and he has not won since April 30, when his record went to 3-0. He also has had problems in first innings lately.

Atkins is here: The Cubs recalled right-hander Mitch Atkins from Class AAA Iowa, sending lefty James Russell to Iowa. They'll use Atkins in the bullpen.

"We need a pitcher," Lou Piniella said. "He'll be pitching in the bullpen, in the middle. He's been pitching well down there. He's a right-hander and gives us a nice, fresh arm. The bullpen's a little spent."

Atkins, the Cubs' minor-league pitcher of the year in 2008, was 4-2 with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 14 games, 6 starts, at Iowa. He appeared in two games with the big club last year.

His flight was delayed Saturday, and he didn't arrive until the fifth inning.

"I was sitting on the tarmac in Indianapolis for a while," Atkins said.

Speaking of Iowa, Jeff Samardzija started and pitched 4 innings Friday in a 4-1 win over Memphis. This doesn't necessarily signal a shift in plans for Samardzija. The Cubs needed somebody to start because it was Atkins' turn, and he was pulled to come to Chicago.

This and that: Marlon Byrd extended his hitting streak to nine games by going 3-for-4. He's 20-for-37 (.541) during the streak. - Lefty reliever John Grabow (sprained knee) can come off the disabled list Tuesday, and Lou Piniella said he expects Grabow back "in the very near future." - Carlos Silva threw 123 pitches. His previous high was 117, in 2008 while with Seattle.