CHICAGO — During the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of Friday’s Crosstown Showdown played before 41,486 at Wrigley Field, Cubs starter Randy Wells needed just 21 pitches to shut down the White Sox hitters.
The sixth inning required only three pitches from Wells. And that total included Brent Morel’s leadoff bunt single.
Then the seventh inning rolled around, and the White Sox turned Wells’ two-run cushion into a two-run deficit en route to a 6-4 victory. The White Sox (41-42) have won three straight overall and three straight in this intracity series against the Cubs (34-49), moving to within one game of .500 for the first time since they were 7-8 on April 17.
A.J. Pierzynski opened the seventh with a single to center and quickly came home on Alexei Ramirez’s two-run home run to left on a 1-1 pitch. Alex Rios followed with a single, and he moved to second on Gordon Beckham’s hit-and-run groundout to third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
Without a left-handed reliever up in the bullpen for the Cubs, Wells (1-3) was left in to walk left-handed-hitting pinch-hitter Adam Dunn on five pitches. Left-handed-hitting Juan Pierre launched the next offering from Wells into the right-field corner, scoring both Rios and the lumbering Dunn with a two-run triple.
Pierre now has six RBIs in his last four games, giving him 22 RBIs for the season.
This blast from Pierre made a winner of Edwin Jackson (5-6), who battled through six innings. Jackson allowed four runs on five hits, walking one and fanning five, but he looked in line for a loss after Aramis Ramirez’s 300th career home run gave the Cubs a 4-2 lead in the sixth.
Paul Konerko’s sacrifice fly and Pierzynski’s two-out single gave the White Sox a two-run lead in the first. But the Cubs fought back with one in the second and then took the lead with two in the third on Darwin Barney’s double and Ramirez’s sacrifice fly.
Scott Merkin MLB.com
Photos: Jacek Urbanczyk/Polish News