The Cubs and White Sox, who played 36 blocks north of Madison Street last weekend, play 35 blocks south of it this weekend when the City Series resumes Friday. But those aren’t the numbers that are important to Cubs and White Sox fans.
The important ones are 3-0. Or 0-3 if you reside at U.S. Cellular Field, where no one has mentioned seeing rats as big as pigs.
Yes, while the White Sox have led in the talk business, the Cubs have swept the statistical categories, including the crucial one — wins.
But things change for the three games at the Cell because American League rules will allow the designated hitter. What hasn’t changed from last weekend is the importance of these games.
First place, at least for the Sox, is still at stake and Cubs fans would like nothing more than a sweep of the season series, which never has been accomplished.
What’s ahead for this weekend? Let’s tell the story through numbers:
0
Number of victories for the scheduled three Cubs starters–Ryan Dempster, Sean Gallagher and Sean Marshall–on the road this season. However, while Dempster is 0-2, his teammates haven’t helped much because he has a 2.48 ERA and .194 opponents’ batting average.
3.1
Innings pitched by Friday’s White Sox starter Jose Contreras his last time out. Of course, that was against the Cubs. Even worse is that he allowed nine runs.
0
Number of ex-Cubs currently playing for the White Sox, while the Cubs have three ex-Sox–Neal Cotts, Bobby Howry and Scott Eyre. Of course, Nick Swisher’s father, Steve, is a former Cub, which counts for nothing.
6
Record number of consecutive games the Cubs have won in the intracity series, prompting debate about retiring bragging rights because the Cubs also have won nine of the last 10 games. The Sox won four in a row in 1999.
5
Yes, the Cubs will miss Big Z. Carlos Zambrano’s five victories in the series are the most from either side.
7
That would be the number of series the White Sox have won against the Cubs at home in 10 tries.
1, 2
The Cubs lead 9-7 in one-run games, but Sox are 8-2 in two-run games over the years.
12
Games the Sox have won at home in their last 14 tries. On the other hand, the Cubs have lost six of their last nine road games.
5.75
Runs the White Sox are averaging at U.S. Cellular Field. But the number jumps to 8.1 in the last 13 home games, which is about the time the weather started warming up and the ball started flying over the wall.
39,194
Number of fans who squeezed into the Cell for last year’s last game, or about 2,000 fewer than the Cubs usually fit into Wrigley Field. Of course, the big question is how many of those will be Cubs fans.
30
Do you think the White Sox will miss the injured Paul Konerko maybe? Those are his RBIs in the last 33 games against the Cubs. Oh, and his batting average is .325.
4.4
Runs the Cubs are averaging during road games, compared to 6.5 at home.
.250
White Sox DH Jim Thome’s batting average against the Cubs in 12 games, which includes three pinch-hit appearances last weekend. But five of his seven hits have been for extra bases (two doubles, three homers).
.500
Batting average of Cubs’ expected DH, Daryle Ward, in three games. He has two RBIs in his six at-bats. But lifetime against Saturday’s Sox pitcher, Javier Vazquez, Ward is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with a third of his hits leaving the yard.
13
Games above .500 for the Sox at home (24-11), which looks even bigger considering the number 4, which is how far the Cubs are below .500 on the road.
.415
Career average for former Blue Jay Reed Johnson at the Cell, highest for any AL park. So the Cubs will be missing a possible huge weapon because Johnson is on the DL.
2
Number of times the Cubs and White Sox will be seen nationally, which is a friendly reminder Fox’s Saturday game starts at 2:55 p.m. and ESPN’s Sunday game starts at 7:05 p.m
4
Number of consecutive games the Cubs have won on the South Side, all three last year and the last one of 2006.
3
Number of runs by which the Sox have outscored the Cubs (132-129) in the 30 official interleague games played between the two at the Cell. And the Sox have won 16 of the 30. Those are amazingly close numbers for a decade-plus of playing.
5.12
Mark Buehrle’s ERA, to go with a 3-4 record, in nine games against the Cubs. He is scheduled to pitch Sunday.
.331
Batting average of Jermaine Dye (left) at the Cell, with 10 homers and 27 RBIs in 32 games. On the other hand, the Cubs’ Derrek Lee has hit just two homers and driven in 20 runs in 36 road games.
.214
Batting averages of Cubs’ Mark DeRosa (right) and Kosuke Fukudome on the road.
