Danks, Linebrink blank Cubs, Getz steals home

[June 29, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- John Danks pitched seven shutout innings, Chris Getz stole home against Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago White Sox got another run on a bases-loaded infield fly rule Sunday to beat the Cubs 6-0.

Danks (6-6) allowed four hits and reliever Scott Linebrink completed the shutout as the White Sox won two of three before sellout crowds at U.S. Cellular Field. The teams split two games at Wrigley Field last week and still have a makeup game to play from a rainout in that earlier series.

The White Sox have won six of eight and the Cubs have lost six of seven.

Zambrano (4-3) gave up nine hits, including a homer to Alexei Ramirez, and was charged with five runs, four of them earned in 5 1-3 innings. After Getz stole home, the Cubs ace plunked DeWayne Wise with a pitch and was taken out one batter later.

Jermaine Dye homered in the eighth off reliever Kevin Hart.

Getz led off the sixth by hustling out a double on a ball he hit to right field and moved to third on a sacrifice.

With Wise at the plate, Getz broke for home as Zambrano began his delivery of a pitch that sailed outside and past catcher Geovany Soto. The stolen base made it 4-0, and on the very next pitch, Zambrano hit Wise.

Plate umpire Brian Runge came out and got between Zambrano and Wise and then motioned and escorted Zambrano back to the mound.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella went to the mound for a visit, and after Wise stole second and Scott Podsednik walked, he came out again to remove the emotional right-hander.

Ramirez then blooped a single to left against reliever David Patton to load the bases. As Dye hit a towering pop that fell behind shortstop Ryan Theriot into short left field, umpires called the infield fly rule. Dye was called out, but Wise had raced home when the ball fell in -- Theriot was given an error on the play -- and the White Sox had a 5-0 lead.

When Danks plunked Ryan Freel to start the seventh, Runge issued a warning to both benches.

Podsednik, who had four hits Saturday, was hit by a pitch by Zambrano with one out in the third. Ramirez then drove a 1-2 pitch into the left-field seats for his 10th homer, giving the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

Singles by A.J. Pierzynski and Gordon Beckham gave the White Sox runners at the corners in the fourth. With Beckham breaking for second, Wise hit an infield single off the glove of Cubs second baseman Andres Blanco to make it 3-0. Zambrano then diffused a potentially big inning by picking Beckham off second.

Danks, who also beat the Cubs 11 days ago at Wrigley Field, ran into trouble in the sixth. A leadoff double by Alfonso Soriano and back-to-back two-out walks to Derrek Lee and Jake Fox loaded the bases.

But he was bailed out when Ramirez, who had two errors Saturday, went to his knees in the hole to stab Soto's hard grounder and threw to third to barely force out Lee.

NOTES: The White Sox lead the interleague series that began in 1997 by 36-35. They've outscored the Cubs 350-341.

[Associated Press; By RICK GANO]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.