Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Paul Konerko’s solo home run in the eighth inning off Andrew Cashner broke a tie game and gave the White Sox a 3-2 decision over the Cubs for their 11th straight victory.
Matt Thornton closed the contest in the ninth for his third save of the season, capping the first time the ChiSox have won 11 in a row since a 12-game run from June 17-27, 1961.
Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez also drove in a run in the victory, the club’s 15th in 16 games. The Sox are now 15-2 against the National League this season and have won seven of the last eight against their Windy City rivals.
Cashner (0-1) took the loss behind Carlos Silva, who had his start pushed back two days due to a right hamstring injury and lasted six frames, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. The Cubs have lost four of five overall.
Silva’s counterpart was also effective in a no-decision, as Freddy Garcia yielded two runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. J.J. Putz (4-2) was credited with the win for tossing a flawless eighth.
Aramis Ramirez’s first home run since June 5th leading off the top of the seventh tied the game, 2-2. Alfonso Soriano doubled after the blast but was stranded on third.
With one out in the eighth, Cashner, in his second inning of relief, served up a 1-2 fastball that Konerko took over the left-field wall for his 19th homer of the year and a 3-2 lead.
Thornton walked Aramis Ramirez with one out in the ninth before getting Soriano to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to clinch another White Sox win.
Gordon Beckham tripled leading off the third and stayed there until Rios knocked him in on a single to center with two away for a 1-0 edge.
The Cubs answered in the sixth when Derrek Lee’s one-out base hit to center plated Ryan Theriot, who led off the frame with a single.
The Sox countered in the bottom half, as Konerko walked, moved to second when Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a flyout to center and raced home on Alexei Ramirez’s sacrifice fly to right.
The Cubs became the first major league franchise to reach 20,000 regular season games on Saturday…Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced Tom Gorzelanny will take over Carlos Zambrano’s spot in the rotation if Zambrano returns to the team following his indefinite suspension…Garcia, who is 4-0 lifetime against the Cubs, had won his previous five starts…The Cubs outhit the Sox, 8-4…The White Sox will go for their fourth consecutive three-game series sweep on Sunday with John Danks on the hill opposite Ryan Dempster.