Swing time for Sox, Cubs
It's not officially called "The Cross-town Classic," although the TV people seem to like that name.
But it's time for interleague play, Chicago style, and that means Cubs vs. White Sox, or White Sox vs. Cubs, if you prefer.
Daily Herald White Sox writer Scot Gregor and Cubs writer Bruce Miles take their cuts at questions about the teams they cover and the series.
Q. What are the negatives that keep the managers awake a night?
Gregor: Just when it looks like the White Sox are heading for an extended roll, they fade back into mediocrity.
Up in Milwaukee over the weekend, Ozzie Guillen admitted he still doesn't know which White Sox team is going to show up for a given game.
Miles: Offense, offense, offense. And it starts at the top, with Alfonso Soriano. The Cubs should not allow a guy with an on-base percentage of .296 to lead off.
Milton Bradley needs to stay on the field and start hitting consistently. Geovany Soto just now looks like he's coming out of it. If so, the Cubs can more easily withstand the loss of Aramis Ramirez until he gets back.
Q: Who's the toughest out in each lineup, and why?
Gregor: Paul Konerko supposedly was washed up last season when he batted just .240 with 22 home runs and a career-low 62 RBI.
The Sox' captain was injured for much of the year, but he has bounced back strong in 2009.
Konerko still is dealing with a sore right thumb that knocked him out of two games last week. But he is good to go after having a cortisone shot, and he leads the White Sox with a .294 batting average.
Miles: Derrek Lee is starting to put the bat on the ball regularly. A few home runs wouldn't hurt. And when Ryan Theriot is doing the things that gave him an OBP of .387 last year, he's a tough out, too.
Q: Which starting pitcher in the three games at Wrigley has the best chance to dominate, and why?
Gregor: Jose Contreras. After starting the season at 0-5 with an 8.19 ERA, the 37-year-old righty requested a demotion to Class AAA Charlotte and worked himself back to the South Side.
In 2 starts since returning, Contreras has pitched 16 scoreless innings while looking a lot like the dominant starter from the 2005 World Series championship team.
Miles: Without a doubt, it's Carlos Zambrano, depending on which Zambrano shows up. He has shown signs of being utterly dominant lately. If he gets too amped up facing the Sox, that could negate all the good stuff.
Q: If the outcome of the game is on the line early, who would you call in the bullpen to put out the fire?
Gregor: Matt Thornton. The big lefty is known for throwing heat, but opposing hitters also have to deal with Thornton's improved slider.
Over his last 12 outings, Thornton has allowed just 1 earned run over 131/3 innings. Overall, he has a 1.85 ERA along with 34 strikeouts in 241/3 innings.
Miles: Provided that he's OK, Angel Guzman. Guzman didn't appear in the weekend series with the Twins, and he's probably one of the pitchers manager Lou Piniella termed as "tender" the other day. Piniella is going to have to avoid the temptation of going to Guzman too much.
Q: How much confidence do you have in the closer for each team?
Gregor: Bobby Jenks is still one of the better closers around, but the burly right-hander has allowed runs in 3 of his last 7 appearances.
Miles: Kevin Gregg has gotten a bit of a bum rap. He's not a "dominant" closer, but there aren't many of those around. He has held opponents scoreless in 16 of his last 18 outings and should be plenty fresh.
Q: If his team gets swept or drops two of three, how does Lou Piniella or Ozzie Guillen handle that?
Gregor: Guillen has declined to publicly tear into the Sox when they've faltered this season.
Maybe he's starting to mellow as he gets older. But after winning two of three at Milwaukee over the weekend, Guillen is not going to explode if the White Sox stumble at Wrigley.
Miles: Piniella probably will react in the same detached manner that has been his demeanor most of this season. If the team doesn't hit, he'll probably say, "Look, what do you want me to do?" If the Cubs get beat 9-8, 7-6 and 8-7, he'll take some solace that the bats have awakened.
Q: Who's the one player on the other team that you know could switch sides and help the other team make the playoffs?
Gregor: Right fielder Jermaine Dye. He hits the ball, he catches most of them, and he never says anything that gets him into trouble.
Oh, yeah, Dye always knows how many outs there are.
Miles: Lefty Ted Lilly would look awfully good in the Sox' rotation. Lilly is the de facto ace of the Cubs' staff. He's as tough competitor as there is in the game at any position.
Q: Of all the Cubs-Sox series you've seen, what's the biggest moment that stands out in your mind?
Gregor: It still has to be former Cubs catcher Michael Barrett punching White Sox counterpart A.J. Pierzynski during a May 20, 2006, game at the Cell.
If you never saw the scuffle, it'll be on countless times again as the two rivals prepare to go at it six more times again this season.
Miles: It goes all the way back to the beginning of the series in 1997, at Comiskey Park, as I fondly remember the place being called.
The Sox' Ray Durham crashed into Cubs catcher Scott Servais at the plate, with both teams wearing early 20th century uniforms. The play symbolized what the rivalry should be all about.
A similar play happened in 2001, with the Cubs' Gary Matthews Jr. meeting up with Sox catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. at home plate. Good stuff.
Cubs-White Sox scouting report
TV: Channel 9 and Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WGN 720-AM and WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Carlos Zambrano (4-2) vs. John Danks (4-5) today at 7:05 p.m.; Ryan Dempster (4-3) vs. Gavin Floyd (4-5) Wednesday at 1:20 p.m.; Randy Wells (0-3) vs. Jose Contreras (2-5) Thursday at 1:20 p.m.
About the Cubs: The Cubs have scored a grand total of 9 runs over their last five games. Zambrano owns a 3.39 ERA, and he is 5-2 with a 4.45 ERA against the Sox. However, Paul Konerko is 7-for-22 with 4 homers vs. Zambrano. Outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome are slumping badly. Soriano is 14-for-95 over his last 22 games, and Fukudome is hitless in 18 at-bats over five games. Soriano is 5-for-8 with 3 homers off Contreras.
About the White Sox: They won two of three at Milwaukee over the weekend, and are 8-2 overall in their last 10 interleague games. The White Sox have been struggling at home, but they are 7-2 in their last nine road games. Contreras was moved up to Thursday. Since coming back from Class AAA Charlotte, Contreras is 2-0 and has pitched 16 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits. In his only start against the Cubs, Danks pitched 6 innings at Wrigley last June and allowed 1 run on 5 hits while getting a no-decision. Konerko is a career .305 hitter vs. the North Siders with 14 HRs and 38 RBI. Gordon Beckham has hit 2-run doubles in each of his last two games.
Next for the Cubs: Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field, Friday-Sunday
Next for the White Sox: Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, Friday-Sunday
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