Jun 29 2009
Southside beat Northside 2 out of 3
If you were tired of seeing the new York Yankees sweeping the Mets most likely you were watching the most entertaining inter-league series of the past weekend. The White Sox and Cubs played a great series in which two of the three games were decided by less than one run.
On Friday Jose Contreras pitched well but gave up a big three run homerun to Geovani Soto in the 6th inning to put the Cubs ahead 5 to 2. It was a lead that did shrink to 5 to 4 when the White Sox got two runs back in the 8th however they left the bases loaded with less than two outs when pinch hitter AJ Pierzynski grounded into a double play that ended the threat of any larger inning. In the ninth the SOX did put men in scoring position but Scott Podsednik struck out and the Cubs claimed a narrow victory.
On Saturday Mark Buehrle battled all day as did Ryan Dempster but neither where a factor for a win as both teams traded the lead back and forth. The Sox started the scoring leading 2 to 0 but the Cubs came right back and eventually took the lead at 3 to 2. The Sox would tie the game with a home run from Scott Podsednik who was on fire going 4 for 4 for the day. Scott was a triple away from the cycle but the real hero was newcomer and rookie Gordon Beckham. As the game moved on both teams continued to score and bounce each other out of the lead and you just started to believe that this game would be decided in the 9th inning. Beckham tied the game in the 7th inning but the Cubs had one more answer as the Cubs went ahead again in the 8th. Alexi Ramirez tied the game with a two out single in the bottom of the 8th and in the 9th with the score tied, two men out and with two outs Beckham delivered a game winning double that gave the Southsiders a walk off 8 t0 7 celebration that resembled a playoff atmosphere.
On Sunday after a well fought game the day before the Cubs came out sputtering and John Danks had another excellent throwing performance against the Cubs out dueling Carlos Zambrano. Danks only allowed 4 hits all day to the Cubs as for Zambrano he gave the Sox an early lead with a two run homerun by Alexi Ramirez. The Sox would add four more runs later and the Cubs never responded as the Sox took the rubber game 6 to 0 giving the Sox a five hundred record for the first time since the opening of the season.
For now we wait as there is still one game left in this cross town rivalry. For now White Sox fans can lift there heads high as they lead the season series by one game as a make up game for a rained out first game at Wrigley Field will be scheduled in September. Lastly as a proud participant on Saturday’s game that was another classic game in this cross town classic that at the very least was one of the most memorable moments of 2009 so far. Even if that game was the last Cubs and Sox games I ever saw live I’m good for a long time now.
