A.J. Pierzynski News

Even though White Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez produced a quality start, going the distance with 10 strikeouts, the South Siders' offense failed to produce much past the first inning.

Javier Vazquez saved the White Sox's recently taxed bullpen Thursday night.

But despite pitching a complete game and allowing only four hits, Vazquez and the Sox finally ran into a roadblock they couldn't avert.

That obstacle was American League ERA leader Justin Duchscherer, who held the Sox scoreless after the first inning in a 3-2 loss that snapped the Sox's seven-game winning streak and their nine-game home winning streak.

After Dewayne Wise hit a home run and A.J. Pierzynski and Jermaine Dye doubled in the first, Duchscherer efficiently harnessed the Sox in a 71/3-innings outing.

The White Sox are running short on shaving cream. Their fans are running thin on nails to bite.

Chicago White Sox's Jim Thome, left, congratulates Jermaine Dye after Dye homered against the Cleveland Indians during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 2, 2008, in Chicago.

In truth, the six games against the White Sox were just another six games for the Cubs.

If a "Cubs hangover" does exist, the perfect remedy will be rolling into the South Side this evening.

One right fielder gets the media attention, the 48 million bucks and the fans chanting his name.

Be honest, it was boring. Even Cubbie Fan had to pick himself up off the floor, wipe the vomit off his faded ''We Got Wood'' T-shirt, shake off the hangover and admit that the first three games of the crosstown ...

That's what the White Sox had Friday going back to their South Side home, and what Cubs starter Ryan Dempster lacked on the mound.

From almost the outset of the Dodgers' 5-0 whitewash of the White Sox Wednesday night, it looked as if it wasn't going to be a great night for Ozzie Guillen's crew.

FIRST INNING White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker wanted batting practice so badly Saturday morning that his team took it in a steady, light rain.

So you tell Ted Lilly that he has lost the zip off his fastball, and his face turns bright red, and his brow comes down and his fists go into a clench, as if the top of his head is going to blow off, and then.

Hours before the game, manager Ozzie Guillen was touting his veteran reliever Scott Linebrink as the first White Sox player he would promote to be on the American League All-Star Team in July.

FIRST INNING For those who believe in such things - and we all know how superstitious Cubs fans are - the sun pops out for the bottom of the first inning.

Aramis Ramirez hit a 1-0 pitch from White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink for his second home run of the game and a 4-3 Cubs victory on Friday.

We've seen Michael Barrett punch A.J. Pierzynski in the chops. We've seen Jose Valentin tap his heart in an in-your-face slam at Sammy Sosa.

LOS ANGELES Energy BBDO's new campaign for the Chicago White Sox shows star players responding to fans in the stands holding signs with signs of their own.

Carlos Quentin has a good chance to represent the White Sox in the All-Star Game, thanks to his team-leading totals of 16 home runs and 54 RBI -- both second-most in the American League.

Apparently, Ozzie Guillen has run out of rants. But he certainly has no raves, either, not after his White Sox were shut out Saturday night for the seventh time.

Trailing 4-2 in the seventh, Uribe drove in Jermaine Dye and Nick Swisher with a bases-loaded single and scored from third on Pierzynski's single that hit off a sliding shortstop Omar Quintanilla.