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White Sox have the toughest time with Cubs

The White Sox are supposed to despise the Cubs, and they were supposed to really beat up on their rebuilding rivals to the north this week at U.S. Cellular Field and Wrigley Field.

If it wasn't for heavy rains that postponed Tuesday night's interleague meeting at the Cell with the Cubs holding a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, the Sox probably would be 0-4 in the city series.

So maybe you can call them lucky after they dropped their third straight to the Cubs, this one an 8-3 decision Thursday at Wrigley.

“We just got beat in all facets of the game,” Paul Konerko said. “That's all you can say. We were just beaten soundly. You tip your hat to them and there's not much more to say than that. They were better in every area of the game.”

Throughout much of the early season, the White Sox have been hard to watch.

Be it Adam Dunn cranking up the strikeout machine, the defense playing hot potato with the baseball, or the front end of the bullpen getting torched, no wonder Sox fans are so furious.

Against the Cubs on Thursday, here were some of the White Sox lowlights:

ŸIn his shortest outing of the season, starter Jake Peavy lasted just 4 innings and allowed 6 runs on 8 hits while throwing just 69 pitches.

“You know, I felt good,” Peavy said. “No excuse whatsoever. You hate to have to come out of the game so soon and give that kind of effort on a day when we needed it. We have to take responsibility.”

The Cubs scored 2 runs on Peavy in the second inning on 4 straight two-out hits. In the fourth, Cubs starter Travis Wood broke the game open with a grand slam.

“I've seen every at-bat he had all year long,” Peavy said of his mound opponent. “I watched him his last start. Homer Bailey struck him out, but he almost hit a ball out of the ballpark against Homer Bailey. He hit one on Waveland.

“We knew exactly what kind of athlete he was going in. We would never be caught unprepared like that. I just didn't make pitches.”

ŸKonerko made an error in the first inning, and Welington Castillo got the Cubs' big fourth inning started when his popup to the left of the mound dropped for a single.

“It needs to be caught, but everybody's running all over the place and it ends up dropping,” manager Robin Ventura said. “That's just stuff if you're going to do, you're not going to win a lot of games.

“The way they're swinging it and pitching, you're giving them a lot of opportunities to put you away, and they did.”

ŸTrailing 7-2 and trying to rally in the seventh inning, Alejandro De Aza tried to stretch a single into a double and was easily thrown out by Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano.

“I think he's just trying to make something happen,” Ventura said of De Aza. “He sees it out in front of him, they make a good throw and you're out. It's always on the runner.”

The White Sox (24-27) had won 9 of 12 before dropping three in a row to fall back under .500.

“The last week or two we've been pretty good,” Konerko said. “There were a couple out there today that I don't think had anything to do with the game, winning or losing.

“When it comes to the baserunning, the defense, that's just something you want to be good at because you have some sort of control over that.

“The hitting, the pitching, they're tough to force if it's not going well. We just have to get better and dial in.”

Hey, at least the White Sox are done with the Cubs for now, though Tuesday's rainout still has to be made up on a date yet to be announced.

“We ran into a club who got some confidence with that win in Cincinnati (Sunday) and flat-out beat us,” Peavy said. “That's all you can say. You've got to give them credit.

“At the same time, you've got to look at yourself. We have to bring it. I think that we just have to step up with a little more intensity, and it starts with me. I didn't do a very good job of that today. Nor did much of anybody.”

sgregor@dailyherald.com

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Scouting report

White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum

TV: WGN Friday; Comcast SportsNet Saturday-Sunday

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

Pitching matchups: The White Sox' Dylan Axelrod (3-3) vs. Bartolo Colon (5-2) Friday at 9:07 p.m.; Jose Quintana (3-2) vs. Dan Straily (3-2) Saturday at 3:07 p.m.; Chris Sale (5-2) vs. Jarrod Parker (3-6) Sunday at 3:07 p.m.

At a glance: The White Sox dropped three straight to the Cubs this week during interleague games at the Cell and Wrigley while being outscored 24-6. They move on to face an Oakland team that won six straight before falling to the Giants on Thursday. The Sox were 3-3 vs. Oakland last season (1-2 on the road). Adam Dunn didn't play Thursday, and he's riding a 1-for-25 slump. Relief pitcher Nate Jones has allowed 16 runs in his last 16 innings, and Brian Omogrosso has allowed 7 runs in his last 7 innings.

Next: Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, Monday-Wednesday

— Scot Gregor

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