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White Sox try to break the brooms out at Wrigley

Jul 3, 2011 - 2:38 PM (Sports Network) - With their 10th straight interleague series victory already clinched, the Chicago White Sox aim for a three-game sweep of the crosstown rival Cubs this afternoon.

The ChiSox have won 11 of their last 14 games against the Cubs, including yesterday's 1-0 triumph to reach the .500 mark (42-42) for the first time since they were 7-7 on April 16.

Juan Pierre knocked in the game's only run and Philip Humber got the better of Matt Garza in the pitchers' duel.

Humber (8-4) yielded just five hits and three walks in seven scoreless innings for the Sox, who have won four straight to reach the .500 mark (42-42) for the first time since they were 7-7 on April 16.

"I was very fortunate," Humber said. "I changed speeds on what I had. I was behind in the count a lot and was able to throw something down in the zone when I needed an out."

Matt Thornton retired all six batters he faced to pick up his third save of the season.

Garza (4-7) tossed his seventh career complete game in the loss, the Cubs' fourth in six games. Garza had a no-hitter through five innings and ended up yielding one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Cubs grounded into double plays in their opening three at-bats, providing little help offensively as Garza strolled through the first five frames.

Cubs manager Mike Quade was ejected by second base umpire Paul Emmel arguing one of those double plays. That came in the second inning when Quade argued second baseman Gordon Beckham didn't touch the base before a relay throw to first.

"I was out of the dugout as the play was developing," Quade said. "I don't manufacture stuff. I was mad. Paul's a good umpire, but I thought he was way off the bag."

Gavin Floyd toes the rubber today for the White Sox, aiming to stop a four- start winless stretch. The right-hander limited the Rockies to six hits and a pair of runs over seven innings in a no-decision. His last victory came June 1 at Boston.

Floyd, who has not walked more than three batters in 43 straight starts, the longest streak by a Sox starter since Mark Buehrle in 2008, is 0-2 in three career games vs. the Cubs.

The home team sends Rodrigo Lopez to the hill in his third start of 2011. The righty threw 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday against the Giants, but suffered the loss after yielding eight hits and four runs -- one earned. In two starts this season, he is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA compared to a 4.00 ERA in nine relief appearances.

Lopez is 2-2 with an 8.04 ERA in nine games (five starts) against the Southsiders.

The White Sox hold a 45-38 lead in this all-time interleague series.