Last week I got tickets to see the Sox play the Cubs Friday & Sunday at the Cell. That was before going to Waupaca while the Sox lost three straight at the un-Friendly Confines. The Cubbies then hosted the Orioles from Baltimore, losing two of three to the Birds. While the Sox traveled across country and took two of three from the Dodgers. So now it was time for the rematch. I was not looking forward to sharing my home with Cub fans, but at least I wouldn’t be at Wrigley. I was excited to back the Sox as they tried to hang onto their 1/2 game lead over Minnesota. Remember I’ve got a ten game winning streak.
The Cubs had their best pitcher on the hill, Ryan Dempster, but he hadn’t won on the road. Dempster hadn’t lost at home, would the Cell feel like home, with all the Cub fans in the house? Jose Contreras started for the Good Guys in Black. The Cubs hamered Jose last weekend on the northside.
Derrick Rose threw out the first pitch, a strike, to Mark Buehrle. I’ve had season’s tickets for the Bulls for 30+ years. I REALLY wanted the Bulls to draft local kid, Memphis point guard, two time Illinois State Champion at Simeon High School in Chicago. So I was very excited to give Rose a big Chicago welcome.
The Cubs leadoff man reached base, but with one on & one out, Derrek Lee grounded into a doubleplay. The Pale Hose jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead, but that didn’t look like it would hold up, as Contreras lost control & got into a bases loaded jam, but DP Lee obliged once again.
The Sox pushed the envelope with aggressive baserunning, especially against Eric Patterson (who didn’t look any better than brother Corey & he wasn’t up to the challenge of playing LF). I wore my Nick Swisher tee, as luck would have it, Swish stepped in with the bags juiced, and took the ball the opposite way for a grand slam to put the game on ice. Dempster was tagged for eight earned runs, the Sox were up 8-0, enroute to a 10-3 drubbing of the Cubs.
Alexei Ramirez wasn’t available, as his wife went into labor. There were lotsa Cub fans there to see their team, but there were also some of my good friends, Adele, her cousin Mary, Dick & Bea, Steve, Caramel-Corn Mike, and new/old friend Dennis.