Cubs, and their fans, show no mercy

There's a persistent stereotype that White Sox fans are terminally bitter while Cubs fans are sweetness and light.

But Wrigleyville isn't exactly extending a friendly hand Sunday night toward those it views as interlopers.

The marquee at Bernie's Tap, located on the corner of Clark and Waveland, bears the message, "The Cubs Will Sweep, The Sox Will Weep."

And one Cubs fan wearing a Ron Cey road jersey, mindful that pompous Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan would be handling the analysis for ESPN's international broadcast, positions himself in the upper deck just beneath the press box before the game and waves a sign that reads, "Ryno Was Better Than You, Joe."

Will this venom set the tone for Game 3? Or will the brilliant south-bound rainbow that appears beyond the right-field stands 45 minutes before the first pitch -- and flourishes for close to 10 minutes -- smooth the way for a kinder and gentler series finale?

First inning

Orlando Cabrera starts the game with a single and bench coach Joey Cora, perhaps taking into account the limp flags atop the center-field scoreboard, decides it's time to grind out the game's first run.

He has A.J. Pierzynski try to bunt Ryan Dempster's first pitch, but Pierzynski fouls it off. Then, on a 1-1 pitch, Cora sends Cabrera on a hit-and-run.

Pierzynski fouls that off, too, on his way to a well-received strikeout. Jermaine Dye's hard-hit 4-6-3 double play strands yet another Sox in scoring position.

Meanwhile, Javier Vazquez can't find the strike zone. He walks Kosuke Fukudome and Eric Patterson on eight pitches. Derrek Lee falls behind 1-2, but Piniella shocks the house by calling a hit-and-run. Lee rips a liner into center that scores Fukudome and gets Patterson to third.

Then, when Cabrera mishandles DeWayne Wise's throw to the infield, Patterson scampers home as well for a 2-0 lead.

Second inning

Dempster has yet to find his customary Wrigley Field groove, but the Cubs turn their second tailor-made double play in as many innings to avoid any problems. Vazquez works around a one-out bloop single by Ryan Theriot.

Third inning

Eric Patterson, hitting in the '2' hole, began this game with no walks in 28 career plate appearances. When Patterson leads off the Cubs' half with his second consecutive four-pitch walk, it's yet another indication that Vazquez doesn't have his usual command tonight.

Patterson is erased trying to steal, but Vazquez promptly walks Aramis Ramirez for his fourth free pass. He has 60 pitches through 3 innings.

Fourth inning

Dempster gets sharper, though Nick Swisher might beg to differ. Home plate ump Mike Estabrook punches out Swisher on a 91-mph fastball that tails back over the inside corner.

While Soto throws the ball around the horn, Swisher stands in the batter's box in disbelief. It's the same call Vazquez received to get Fukudome in the second, so everyone should feel even.

Fifth inning

Now we know why Vazquez didn't want to throw Patterson anything to hit. After plunking Fukudome in the right triceps leading off, Vazquez tries an off-speed pitch that Patterson golfs into the right-center field basket for his first career home run.

He needs just 99 more to catch his big brother, Corey, for a career and 2 more to catch Aramis Ramirez in this series.

Oops, make that 3. Ramirez lines a hanging breaking pitch into the left-center field stands for his fourth homer in three days. It's 5-0 Cubs.

Sixth inning

While Dempster warms up, a small disturbance behind the White Sox bullpen gets a few people shuffling around down there. There's nothing nearly as exciting happening at the plate as Dempster hits his stride.

He has retired 11 of his last 12 batters, with DeWayne Wise's fifth-inning bunt single the only blemish. Meanwhile, Vazquez enjoys his first 1-2-3 inning, though Carlos Quentin has to make a nifty running catch on the track to wrap it up.

Seventh inning

The White Sox finally get on the board as Joe Crede finally gets off the schneid. Crede enters this inning 0-for-9 with a walk for the series, but his liner up the middle drives in Jermaine Dye and cuts the margin to 5-1.

With Octavio Dotel facing Derrek Lee in the bottom half, 25 consecutive large booms that sound remarkably like gunfire go off outside the ballpark on Addison. Many in the crowd, for whatever reason, start cheering midway through the noisy sequence. Shortly thereafter, the Cubs choose to hit-and-run again and it pays off with a run. Lee, who walked, takes off on a 3-2 pitch and scores easily on Ramirez's liner to the right-center gap.

Eighth inning

Jim Thome leads off with a double and the Cubs' bullpen gets busy, but Dempster doesn't allow a run. Piniella then allows his starter to bat, and as Dempster returns to the dugout after tapping out to short, the Wrigley faithful give him a standing ovation.

Ninth inning

Dempster leaves to another standing ovation after surrendering leadoff singles to Dye and Swisher. Though Marmol has been up two or three times, Piniella asks Bobby Howry to close things out. With the crowd screaming, "Sweep the White Sox!" Howry knocks out three straight Sox to close out the sweep and start them dancing in the aisles.