Cubs 2 - 3 White Sox
Final
  for this game

Konerko homers in fifth straight, White Sox edge Cubs

Jun 22, 2011 - 5:12 AM

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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Alexei Ramirez scored on Brent Morel's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, and the Chicago White Sox topped the Cubs, 3-2, in the second part of this series between crosstown foes.

Paul Konerko tied a team record by homering in his fifth straight game for the White Sox, winners in three of their last four contests. They bounced back from a 6-3 loss on Monday and are in position to win their 17th straight interleague series.

The teams had to wait out a rain delay of 1 hour, 44 minutes in the top of the sixth inning, meaning Mark Buehrle wasn't able to get a decision for the hosts. Buehrle kept his interleague unbeaten streak intact, at 10-0 over his last 14 such starts. He's 20-2 over his last 30 interleague starts.

"His breaking ball was very filthy," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The ball was dropping pretty good. He threw the ball very well tonight."

Buehrle didn't walk a batter, fanned three and gave up five hits over 5 1/3 innings. Jesse Crain (3-2) lasted 1 2/3 innings for the victory and Sergio Santos escaped a jam in the eighth, and recorded his 13th save.

Carlos Pena homered for the Cubs, who have dropped their last five interleague series since taking two-of-three vs. Oakland, June 15-17 of last season.

Matt Garza departed after yielding four hits and fanning four over five innings. Jeff Samardzija (5-3) suffered the loss.

Ramirez doubled to left and A.J. Pierzynski then legged out an infield hit to put runners at the corners with nobody out in the seventh. After Alex Rios popped out, Morel sent a fly ball to center field. The throw home was off line.

"That's what we need to do to start putting wins together," Konerko said. "We'd love to blow everybody out, but chances are we'll have to play games like that, win those ones. Those are the ones we haven't won all year. Hopefully that's the first of a lot of them."

The Cubs placed runners on first and second in the eighth, but Santos fanned Aramis Ramirez to escape the jam. Santos fanned two more in a 1-2-3 ninth.

Konerko homered to left on the second pitch from Garza in the second inning. It was his 21st of the year.

"We still want to pitch him tough and give our guys a chance to make things tough on him," Cubs manager Mike Quade said of his hurlers facing Konerko. "I'm not interested in just putting him on all day long."

Juan Pierre's squeeze bunt plated Rios in the third before the Cubs got a Pena homer to center in the fifth and an Aramis Ramirez sac fly in the sixth to square the contest. He was the first batter following the rain delay.

Game Notes

Konerko has hit safely in 19 of his last 20 games, going (33-for-74) .446 with 11 homers and 22 RBI. He ranks third all-time with 54 interleague homers, trailing Jim Thome (57) and Ken Griffey Jr. (55)...The Cubs, who are looking for their first road series victory since sweeping a two-game set in Florida, May 18-19, will send Doug Davis (1-5) to the mound Wednesday night. The ChiSox counter with Jake Peavy (2-1)...After going 9-1 against the White Sox from July 2, 2006-June 22, 2008, the Cubs have gone 5-12 against the South Siders in their last 17 contests,






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