Ramirez homers, White Sox beat Cubs 6-4

[July 02, 2011]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run homer, and the Chicago White Sox opened their weekend series against the crosstown Cubs with a 6-4 victory on Friday.

Ramirez connected in the seventh and Juan Pierre added a two-run triple in the inning, turning a two-run deficit and sending the White Sox to their third straight win.

The Cubs came up short again in their quest to win three straight after pulling out dramatic victories the previous two days against San Francisco. They remain the only team in the majors without a three-game winning streak. Just when it appeared they might get one, it slipped away.

They were leading 4-2 after Aramis Ramirez hit his 300th homer -- a solo shot -- in the sixth off Edwin Jackson (5-6), but the White Sox immediately responded in a big way against Randy Wells (1-3).

A.J. Pierzynski led off the seventh with a single, and Alexei Ramirez tied it with his eighth homer. The White Sox weren't finished.

Alex Rios singled and Adam Dunn, batting for Jackson, walked with one out. Pierre, who has struggled this season but came in on a 9-for-19 run, made it 6-4 when he drove in both runners with a triple to the right-field corner, chasing Wells.

That gave Pierre five RBIs in two games. He also had the tiebreaking two-run single in the 10th inning in the White Sox's win over Colorado on Thursday.

"I wish I had 25 Juan Pierres," said manager Ozzie Guillen, who has repeatedly defended him despite loud calls for Dayan Viciedo to take his roster spot.

The big rally gave Jackson his first win in five weeks. The right-hander wasn't exactly dominant, allowing four runs and five hits in six innings, but he'll take it after going 0-1 in his previous five starts.

Brian Bruney pitched a scoreless seventh. Jesse Crain worked the eighth, and Sergio Santos closed it out in the ninth for his 18th save in 20 opportunities.

Wells, winless since April 4, allowed six runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.

He gave up two runs in the first, but the Cubs got one back in the second and two more in the third on an RBI double by Darwin Barney and sacrifice fly by Aramis Ramirez, making it 3-2.

Ramirez added to it with one out in the sixth when he drove his 11th homer and second in two days out to left, but things quickly unraveled for Wells and the Cubs.

NOTES: The Cubs placed starter Carlos Zambrano on the 15-day disabled list because of soreness in his lower back and activated reliever Kerry Wood. ... Cubs SS Starlin Castro made a highlight reel play in the third when he dove to his right to snag Brent Morel's hard smash and, from the outfield grass, fired to first. ... Cubs GM Jim Hendry said OF Marlon Byrd might rejoin the team this weekend. He's been out since May 21 with facial fractures sustained when he was beaned by Boston's Alfredo Aceves. ... RHP Andrew Cashner, on the 60-day DL with a strained right rotator cuff, said he's about 90 percent healed and expects to start throwing in 10 days. He has not set a target date for his return but said there is "no doubt in my mind" he will pitch again this season. ... Cubs manager Mike Quade said Marcos Mateo will probably need at least two and ideally three days of rest after tossing five scoreless innings in relief against San Francisco on Thursday. ... Guillen said Dunn could start at first base or right field this weekend. ... The White Sox have won 18 of 19 interleague series, including nine straight on the road.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW SELIGMAN]

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