Series Up For Grabs For White Sox And Cubs
(AP) -- After splitting the first two games of their series at U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox and Cubs will both try to clinch the series win on Wednesday.
Fresh off yet another stint on the disabled list, Jake Peavy will take the mound for the White Sox.
After he started the season on the DL while recovering from shoulder surgery, Peavy went 2-1 with a 4.65 ERA in five starts before going back on the shelf with a groin strain June 8.
Peavy, 12-7 with a 4.21 ERA in 25 starts since he was acquired by Chicago at the 2009 trade deadline, is eager to return and stay healthy. He is signed through 2012 with a club option for 2013.
"I'm tired of battling injury," said Peavy, who allowed six runs in four innings of a 7-3 loss to Detroit on June 5.
"It's been a recurring theme from my time here in Chicago. ... I'm hoping to put all this to rest and I can pitch the next year and a half here in Chicago and help this team."
Peavy is 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 starts against the Cubs, and he yielded just a two-run homer to Alfonso Soriano and struck out 14 in 14 innings while going 2-0 against them in 2010.
He has thrown 21 straight scoreless innings in his last three interleague starts, two of which have come against the Cubs.
Peavy will try to help the White Sox (36-39) win their 17th consecutive interleague series after beating the Cubs 3-2 on Tuesday. The White Sox have 12 of 17 overall against the Cubs.
Paul Konerko became the first White Sox player since Carlos Lee in 2003 to homer in five consecutive games Tuesday. Konerko, who has homered in four straight against the Cubs at U.S. Cellular, is batting .446 with 11 homers and 22 RBIs his last 20 games.
"You have those little streaks, homers, RBIs, doubles, all kinds of power stuff, that kind of comes in bunches anyway," Konerko said. "I don't really read too much into it."
Teammate Adam Dunn, however, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Dunn ranks among the major league leaders with 91 strikeouts, and has fanned seven times during an 0-for-12 slump.
He does have a team-high 41 walks.
"I should put Dunn at leadoff because he's the one who gets on base the most, but instead of striking out four (times), he might strike out six (times)," manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Dunn has hit just .189 (7 for 37) with three homers and 11 strikeouts against scheduled Cubs starter Doug Davis (1-5, 4.95), who allowed one run and three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 3-1 win over the Yankees on Friday.
"I'm happy with the way I threw and happy I got my first win out of the way as a Cub," Davis said.
The left-hander is 1-3 with a 4.73 ERA in five starts against the White Sox, but has not faced them since 2003 while with Toronto.
Carlos Pena homered for the second straight game, and for the fourth time in his last six for the Cubs (30-43), who look to avoid a sixth straight interleague series loss.
Soriano has hit .318 (7 for 22) with three doubles and three homers against Peavy.
Peavy will be the fifth Cy Young Award winner the Cubs will face in less than two weeks after losing to Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, and beating Zack Greinke.
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