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White Sox eye .500 and a series win at Wrigley

Jul 2, 2011 - 2:43 PM (Sports Network) - The season was barely two weeks old the last time the Chicago White Sox were at .500. Winners in 10 of their last 13 games, they have a chance to get back to the break even mark this afternoon when they continue their series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Not only can the White Sox get back to .500 for the first time they were 7-7 on April 16, but they can extend an impressive streak with a victory this afternoon. They've won nine straight road interleague series since suffering a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field on June 20-22, 2008.

The latest push by the ChiSox have them just 3 1/2 games out of first place in the AL Central, this after being down as many 11 contests in the division on May 7. Lately, though, it's been a case of winning tight games that has given Ozzie Guillen's team hope for a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Philip Humber had won four straight starts and five consecutive decisions before taking the hard-luck loss against the Nationals on Sunday. In that game, the righty limited Washington to a pair of runs on three hits over 6 2/3 innings. He actually had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning. Despite this loss, he's 6-2 with a .186 (52-for-279) opponents batting average over his last 11 starts. Even more impressive, he's limited right-handed hitters to a .161 (22-for-137) average.

This will be Humber's first career appearance against the Cubs.

Countering for the struggling Cubs will be Matt Garza, who is 2-0 over his last three starts. The righty threw 7 1/3 solid innings in a victory against the Rockies on Monday. He's 1-2 with a 6.17 ERA in five starts against the White Sox. That includes a five-inning no-decision on June 21.

Juan Pierre hit a two-run triple to finish off a four-run seventh inning Friday that lifted the White Sox over the Cubs, 6-4. Alexei Ramirez belted a two-run homer during the rally, which lifted the White Sox out of a 4-2 hole and gave starter Edwin Jackson his first win in six starts.

Jackson (5-6) allowed four runs on five hits and a walk, striking out five in six innings for his first victory since May 22.

Brian Bruney, Jesse Crain and Sergio Santos pitched one scoreless inning apiece, with Santos striking out two in a perfect ninth for his 18th save.

"That was a great effort," Jackson said of the White Sox bullpen. "They came in and shut things down like everybody knows they're capable of doing."

Aramis Ramirez hit a solo home run, the 300th homer of his career, and knocked in two runs for the Cubs.

The White Sox won two of three games against the Cubs at home last week and are 44-38 all-time in the series.

"They had a couple more big hits than we did," said Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney, who hit an RBI double. "That's the way it goes. We gotta come back tomorrow ready to go and try to put ourselves in position to win the series."

Cubs starter Randy Wells (1-3) was knocked out of the game in the seventh and fell to 0-3 in seven starts since coming off the disabled list May 28.