White Sox getting their 'act' together

At 2:41 p.m., actor D.B. Sweeney, who played Shoeless Joe Jackson in Eight Men Out, dons a White Sox jersey again. He throws out the ceremonial first pitch and still looks athletic - especially for an actor - in lobbing the ball over the plate on a fly. No wonder he got the part.

Time for the White Sox and Cubs to make new history.

At 2:56 p.m., Game 2 of their three-game series at sunny U.S. Cellular Field gets under way.

First inning

White Sox starter Javier Vazquez walks leadoff hitter Kosuke Fukudome on a 3-2 pitch. This is actually an improvement for Vazquez, who walked Fukudome on 4 pitches to start the Cubs' first inning last Sunday night at Wrigley Field.

After Mark DeRosa singles, Derrek Lee hits into a ... what, no double-play groundball? GIDP-leader Lee singles! (Stat geeks know "GIDP" stands for grounded into double play). It's the start of Lee's 5-for-5 day.

After Daryle Ward drops an RBI single into center, manager Ozzie Guillen pays Vazquez a visit on the mound.

It helps. Vazquez retires the next three batters, the last two on strikeouts, and the Cubs settle for 2 runs.

Cubs rookie pitcher Sean Gallagher can't protect the lead, however.

Jermaine Dye refuses to cool off. He belts a 2-run homer that travels 404 feet to center field. Joe Crede smokes an RBI double off the fence down the left-field line. It looks like the White Sox are taking BP.

Second inning

Ozzie's talk is still having a positive effect on Vazquez, who retires the side in order.

Alexei Ramirez, who was a late scratch Friday so he could be with his wife when she delivered their third child, apparently isn't tired. He leads off the bottom of the inning by smacking a double. He later races home on another double, this one by Orlando Cabrera.

Third inning

Lee rips a bad-hop single over the shoulder of shortstop Cabrera, who's thankful the ball missed his jaw. But third

baseman Crede's full-out dive and catch of Geovany Soto's line drive with the bases juiced keeps the Cubs off the board.

The blazing-hot Dye singles and steals second. Ho-hum. But he's stranded at second.

Fourth inning

Time for Ozzie to visit Vazquez again after DeRosa singles home Mike Fontenot to pull the Cubs within 4-3. This chat doesn't help. Lee, suddenly as hot as Dye, crushes a 2-run double off the base of the fence in left-center.

But the kid can't hold the lead again. Gallagher surrenders a game-tying homer to Ramirez leading off the bottom of the frame. Ramirez dedicates the dinger to his new child, who's sleeping like a baby.

Fifth inning

Vazquez's day is over after throwing 105 pitches. Time for the White Sox' bullpen to dominate, starting with Boone Logan, who sandwiches a Ronny Cedeno double with 2 strikeouts.

The White Sox put two on after one out. That gets Neal Cotts and just called-up Jose Ascanio throwing in the Cubs bullpen. But Gallagher whiffs Nick Swisher. Up comes "New Papi" Ramirez, who also strikes out swinging. Somewhere his newborn is crying.

Sixth inning

Lee singles, making him 4-for-4, but in comes Matt Thornton to relieve Nick Masset. Thornton gets the final two outs.

Gallagher pitches a 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning. His day is over. Manager Lou Piniella gives his kid pitcher credit after the game. "Proud of him," Piniella says. "He gave us 6 good innings. Threw 120 pitches. That's how you become a successful major-league pitcher."

Seventh inning

Thornton overpowers Jim Edmonds, Soto and Fontenot, whiffing all of them.

In the bottom of the inning, struggling Carlos faces red-hot Carlos. Carlos Quentin wins the battle, hitting an opposite-field homer to right field off Carlos Marmol on an 0-2 pitch.

Eighth inning

Scott Linebrink retires the Cubs in order. Cotts and Bob Howry keep the Cubs' deficit at 6-5.

Ninth inning

Lee leads off with his career best-tying fifth hit, a booming double to right-center off closer Bobby Jenks. Lee takes third on Ward's groundout, but Jenks strikes out Aramis Ramirez (0-for-5) and retires Edmonds on a groundout for his 18th save.

Outside the gates before the game, a fan wearing a White Sox jersey - not D.B. Sweeney - held a sign: "The Cubs have their jinx. The White Sox have their Jenks."