Marathon Pundit: White Sox avoid sweep, beat Cubs

Yes, I was silent on the first two games of Chicago's Crosstown Classic, and I'm well aware that I didn't post on the first two games of the series, in which the Chicago Cubs defeated the Chicago White Sox.

Before Cub trolls beat me to the punch, I wasn't able to watch the first two games--I was at work. Today I was able to tune in, and it was for me the game to watch, the South Siders defeated the North Siders 10-6 at Wrigley Field.

For White Sox fans, the game was especially good. Right hander Nick Masset, pitching in his first major league start, was the winning pitcher. A two out rally started off inauspiciously for the Sox after Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano hit Sox shortstop Juan Uribe by a pitch. The next two batters were walked, and the most-hated (by Cubs fan) player on the White Sox, catcher A.J. Pierzynski, hit a grand slam. It was the pivotal moment of a seven run seventh for the South Siders, and easily the highlight of the weekend for Pierzynski, who feeds off of Cub fan anger.

As he rounded first base, Pierzynski pumped his fist in excitement -- very similar to Derrek Lee's show of emotion after his pinch-hit grand slam on Saturday. The White Sox fans in attendance tried to drown out the jeers with chants of Pierzynski's name.

"People boo me all the time, so it's nothing new," Pierzynski said. "The more people boo, the more I laugh, so it relaxes me more. If they cheered for me, I wouldn't know what to do. It's just part of my makeup, and you just want to prove a lot of people wrong."

Sox slugger and Peoria, Illinois native Jim Thome was one of the runs Pierzynski pushed into home with his four-bagger. The Sox broadcast crew mentioned that Thome was the showed up at Wrigley Field at 7:00am--he was scheduled to come off of the disabled list not until the next day. Thome grew up a Cub fan.

The White Sox are off to a so-so start, but somehow are still within reach of the Central Division leading Cleveland Indians and second place Detroit. The Sox are in third, with injury-plagued Minnesota fading in fourth place. The Central is arguably baseball's toughest divison. The Kansas City Royals are where everyone expected them to be--mired in last.

This weekend was "Rivarly Weekend" in Major League Baseball interleague play. Besides the Crosstown Classic, other interesting matchups were the Indians and the Cincinnati Reds, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Florida Marlins, the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros, and the Washington Nationals paired with the Baltimore Orioles. The Los Angeles teams met, as did the two New York teams, along with the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants.

A couple of states separate the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals, but these teams met in last year's World Series. The Cardinals won the 2005 title by besting the Tigers four games to one, but this weekend it was the Tigers' turn to dominate--they swept the Cards at Comerica Park.

Related posts:

St. Louis Cardinals World Series trophy comes to Springfield

April 30, 1922: Baseball's first "perfect" game

Almost perfect: White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle throws no-hitter

American Thinker's Richard Baehr on upcoming sale of Chicago Cubs

Chicago Crosstown Classic: Cub fans pelt field with garbage after Pierzynski homer

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