A Tale of Two Sweeps

By: Nick Shears

It seemed only fitting that this year’s Crosstown Showdown ended in the same fashion it started – with a sweep.

“I think it’ll be a different Monday in Chicago,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said after the White Sox swept the Cubs on Sunday night in a 5-1 win at U.S. Cellular Field, just one week after being swept at Wrigley Field. “I bet White Sox fans can’t wait to go to work.”

As half the city starts the day feeling refreshed, the other will be asking itself what happened. Last week’s North Side hero, Aramis Ramirez, was 0-13 during this series and the pitching staff – without staff ace Carlos Zambrano – gave up 21 runs.

While Guillen mentioned that he had instructed his pitchers to pound Ramirez inside, it seemed that his Cubs counterpart Lou Piniella had no strategy against the Sox bats as Carlos Quentin, Brian Anderson and Jim Thome each homered in Sunday’s game.

Lou’s frustrations culminated in the second inning when he was ejected for the first time all season after disputing first base umpire Chad Fairchild’s ruling on a checked swing by Joe Crede.

The Cubs’ troubles with the play calls didn’t end there, as bench coach Alan Trammel came out of the dugout to argue with Fairchild’s call on an out in the fifth.

“That’s what happens in the heat of the battle,” said Trammel after the game. “Half the time we see a replay and we’re wrong, and tonight we [and the umpires] just didn’t agree.”

There was nothing disagreeable about Sox starter Mark Buehrle’s performance, as he went seven innings with one unearned run and five strikeouts. It also helped that the Sox defense turned four double plays while the offense added three home runs.

Quentin, who hit his 19th home run of the season, was so amped up he forgot to touch home plate on his way around the bases. Thome was more sentimental about his 522nd career homer in the eighth, as it pushed him past Willie McCove and Ted Williams on the all time list in 16th place.

“It’s very humbling and surreal to be among [McCovey and Williams],” Thome said. “Looking back someday, it will be something to be very proud of.”

Although the Crosstown series ended in a tie, the two teams go back to regular league play with different outlooks. With Sunday’s win, the South Siders look forward to a seven game homestand while the Cubs leave Chicago for the West Coast in the midst of a seven-game road losing streak.

In addition to having starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano out of the rotation, the Cubs’ lineup will be without Aramis Ramirez, who is missing three games in San Francisco due to a family matter in his native Dominican Republic.

“We’ve lost four in a row and need to kind of regroup and try to win a ballgame in San Francisco,” said Trammel after the game.

What a difference a week makes.

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After growing up in Evanston and New Jersey, Nick Shears is a Yankee fan by blood (his uncle gave him a signed Joe Dimaggio book at birth) and a Cubs fan by principle. Although this may be one reason you do not like what he says, understand that this complicated baseball enthusiast offers a necessary East Coast perspective in an all too central minded town. He is ready to take on any of your questions or comments at shearsna@eckerd.edu.

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