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Beuhrle sharp as White Sox sweep Windy City Series

Jun 30, 2008 - 4:36 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Payback came with a broom on Sunday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Mark Buehrle tossed seven stellar innings and the Chicago White Sox hit three home runs en route to a 5-1 victory over the rival Chicago Cubs on Sunday night to complete a three-game interleague series sweep.

Carlos Quentin, Brain Anderson and Jim Thome all homered for the White Sox, who avenged the three straight losses they suffered to the Cubs last weekend at Wrigley Field.

"It's nice," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think the White Sox fans are going to be walking back home with a smile on their face. It will be a different Monday in Chicago, believe me. It's going to be a different Monday. I bet you White Sox fans can't wait to get up for work tomorrow because I know that was tough for them last weekend."

Buehrle (6-6) improved to 4-0 in his last six starts. He allowed just an unearned run on six hits and two walks while striking out five. Closer Bobby Jenks escaped a ninth-inning jam with the aid of a double play to secure the win.

"We are going through a rough stretch right now and we just have to fight through it," said Alan Trammell, who took Lou Piniella's place after the Cubs manager's 60th career ejection. "Lou's frustrated, as we all are."

Quentin tied Texas' Josh Hamilton for the American League home run lead with his 19th blast to lead off the fourth against Cubs starter Sean Marshall to open the scoring. Anderson's two-run shot in the fifth came after Nick Swisher had walked and gave the White Sox a 3-0 edge in the fifth.

"Defensively, it seems like it just comes naturally to me, but hitting is tough," Anderson said. "It's a battle every day, and when you're not out there every day it's tough."

The Cubs got to Buehrle for an unearned run in the seventh after Joe Crede let Mark DeRosa's ground ball go through his legs for a two-base error. Jim Edmonds followed with a single to center and Ronny Cedeno hit a two-out RBI single to center, but Buehrle escaped the jam without any more damage by striking out Kosuke Fukudome.

Marshall (0-2), who is starting while Carlos Zambrano recovers from a shoulder injury, allowed three runs and five hits with a walk and five strikeouts over seven frames.

"He's labored in the past as the game has gone on, but he did a fine job tonight," Trammell said.

Cubs reliever Jose Ascanio gave up Thome's 522nd career home run, a 421-foot, two-run shot to right field in the eighth that broke a three-way tie on the all-time home run list for 16th place with Willie McCovey and Ted Williams.

"I tried to continue to stay sharp," Thome said. "It's tough to sit out six games and only know you may get a pinch-hit (opportunity) here or there. You have to do your work. In Friday's game, it felt like opening day for me after not playing for five or six games."

Piniella received his first ejection of the season in the second inning for arguing over a check swing. Piniella went after first base umpire Chad Fairchild after a ball called on Crede's check swing was upheld on appeal.

"We disagree (with the call), but there are a lot of other times we disagree and we see a replay and we're wrong," Trammell said.