The first series of the year between the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs started with Kerry Wood's retirement, and it will end with one team going home with a series victory. After the White Sox beat the Cubs 7-4 on Saturday, the series remains tied at one as the teams enter Sunday's rubber match in Wrigley.
Taking the mound for the Cubs will be Paul Maholm, who has been stellar in his last five starts after a rough start to the 2012 season. In those five starts, Maholm has allowed only seven earned runs in 31.1 innings pitched, which has helped his ERA stabilize at 4.35 after spending the early part of the season in the teens.
The White Sox will counter with Jake Peavy, who was rocked in his last start vs. the Detroit Tigers not long after being named the AL Pitcher of the Month for April. In Peavy's shortest outing of the year, he gave up six earned runs in just 5.1 innings pitched, and the two homers he allowed equalled his season total coming in to the game.
Game date/time: Sunday, May 20, 1:20 p.m. CT
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill.
TV: WGN, CSN
For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score. Also, check out the team blogs Bleed Cubbie Blue and South Side Sox.