Ramirez homers in 9th as Cubs edge White Sox 4-3

[June 21, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- The Cubs struck first in a spirited showdown of first-place teams who share the same city. Aramis Ramirez led off the bottom of the ninth with his second homer of the game to send the Cubs to a 4-3 victory Friday over the White Sox at raucous Wrigley Field.

Ramirez lined a 1-0 pitch from Scott Linebrink (2-2) over the fence in center and the majority of the 41,106 fans - most of them obviously pulling for the Cubs - went into a frenzy.

The White Sox had a 3-1 lead headed into the seventh before Derrek Lee and Ramirez hit back-to-back homers off reliever Octavio Dotel to tie the game.

It was the first time the two city rivals met as first-place teams since interleague play began in 1997.

A.J. Pierzynski and Jermaine Dye homered for the White Sox.

The two teams met in the 1906 World Series - city fans are envisioning a rematch this season - with the White Sox winning. Two years later, the Cubs won the World Series and haven't captured another since, a 100-year drought.

The White Sox got a leadoff double from Brian Anderson in the ninth off Kerry Wood (4-1), who then retired the next three batters, striking out an agitated Pierzynski to end the threat. Pierzynski was called out on an appeal to third base umpire Mike Everett and then fired down his helmet and flipped his bat away on his way to the dugout.

That's the kind of emotion this series brings out.

Pierzynski hit a two-run homer in the third off Ted Lilly - his fifth career homer against the Cubs as a member of the White Sox - to make it 3-1.

White Sox lefty John Danks had shut the Cubs down for six innings, allowing just five hits and a run before giving way to Dotel.

The Cubs didn't look sleepy early on after playing in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Thursday night and not getting back to Chicago until 2 a.m. They scored a run in the first as leadoff hitter Kosuke Fukudome beat out a swinging bunt and moved to third on Ryan Theriot's sharp single to right center. Fukudome scored when Lee hit into a double play.

Dye tied it in the second with his third homer in two games and fifth in the last five, a line drive that sailed over the left field bleachers and onto Waveland Ave.

Danks retired 11 straight before Fukudome's one-out single in the sixth but third baseman Joe Crede took Theriot's grounder and started the White Sox's third double play of the day. Danks went six innings, allowing a run and five hits. Lilly lasted 6 2-3, giving up seven hits and three runs.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was on a roll before the game and got in another shot at one of his favorite targets, Wrigley Field. Especially the batting cage under the right field bleacher.

"You go to take batting practice and the rats are bigger than pigs out there. You want to take a look? I think the rats are lifting weights," he said.

"That's the way it is. This is a museum. People like to come to Wrigley Field. I don't say people don't like to come here. I said, 'Ozzie doesn't like to come here.'"

Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who did a TV commercial that featured he and Guillen riding a bike together and taking turns on a trampoline - some doubles were used in the taping - brushed off the comments.

"If you can believe everything Ozzie says then I guess you should be ... I haven't seen any rats around here to be honest with you," Piniella said.

Notes:@ Dotel had allowed just two homers in 33 1-3 innings entering the game ... The start of the game was delayed 31 minutes by rain. Game-time temperature was 72 with a 5 mph wind. ... Cubs OFs Jim Edmonds (foot) and Reed Johnson (back) sat out a second straight game to rest their injuries. ... Guillen said he would prefer not to use DH Jim Thome in the field, but with three games at the Los Angeles Dodgers following this series he might Sunday night. Thome pinch-hit in the ninth Friday and popped out.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

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