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Cubs edge White Sox, avoid sweep

Jul 3, 2011 - 11:13 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Aramis Ramirez's two-run homer was enough for the Cubs to slip by the White Sox, 3-1, and avoid a three-game sweep.

Rodrigo Lopez (1-2) allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings to pick up his first win in a Cubs uniform. He had started only two of his first 11 games with the club this season.

"I feel better being in the rotation. It's what I've been doing most of my career," said Lopez. "So it made me feel more comfortable. It's something that I think gives me more confidence."

Starlin Castro went 2-for-4 with a run batted in for the victors.

Gavin Floyd (6-8) took the loss after surrendering three runs on seven hits in his seven-inning start.

The Cubs, who had lost four straight to their crosstown rival coming in, had a runner thrown out at home to end the third, but they didn't make any base- running mistakes while taking the lead an inning later.

Darwin Barney started the fourth with a single and raced around to score when Castro followed with a gapper to left-center field. Castro, the Cubs' representative in this year's All-Star Game, slid in safely for a triple and trotted home when Ramirez reached out and poked his 12th homer of the season to center.

Lopez retired the final 10 batters he faced before being replaced by Kerry Wood to start the eighth. Mark Teahen reached on a one-out single, moved to third on Gordon Beckham's base hit and scored the Sox's only run on a wild pitch.

Wood was pulled when he walked pinch-hitter Paul Konerko. Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol each recorded an out to keep it a two-run game, and Marmol stayed in for the ninth and threw a perfect inning for his 17th save.

"It's tough to sweep anybody, that's for sure, especially this series," Konerko said. "You can throw records and everything out the window. Everybody plays to a little bit of a different level in this series."

The loss snapped the Sox's four-game winning streak.

Game Notes

The Cubs won just five of their 15 games against the American League this year...The White Sox finished 11-7 in interleague play...The White Sox were looking for their first three-game sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field since 1999...Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin was selected as an AL All-Star reserve on Sunday. Konerko is one of five Final Vote finalists for the AL as selected by fans.