After late inning homers gave them a series split with the Giants on Thursday, the Cubs will welcome the White Sox to the North Side to begin their cross town rematch. Though both teams are still under .500, each topped their respective leagues in at least one way during the last month. The White Sox have gone 29-20 since the beginning of May, good for the third best record in the American League over that stretch. The Cubs, meanwhile, hit 33 home runs on the month of June, tops in the NL.
Opening the series for the Cubs will be Randy Wells. Wells has had a bit of a rough stretch since coming off the DL, and currently sports a 1-2 record with a 6.25 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. In his career against the White Sox, he's 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. A.J. Pierzynski has hit Wells decently in their meetings, going 3-for-3 with a double.
The Sox will send Edwin Jackson to the mound to face the Cubs. Jackson has been up and down all year, though he's coming off of a start against Washington in which he threw seven shutout innings, giving up just five hits and two walks. In his career against the Cubs, Jackson is 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA and 1.88 WHIP. Alfonso Soriano is 4-for-9 with one double and one home run against Jackson.
The weather in Chicago is expected to clear in time for the game, and will be hot and partly cloudy this afternoon, with a game time temperature in the low 90's. First pitch is at 1:20 P.M., CDT, and the game will be televised on WGN (Cubs) and CSN (Sox).