You could hear the jet engines during the flyover. The visiting dignitaries from the NATO summit included Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was the White Sox, the entire city and a national television audience at home watching.
The Cubs went quietly on Saturday night at Wrigley Field, losing 7-4 in a game that wasnt nearly that close. White Sox left-hander John Danks took a perfect game into the fifth inning, and the Cubs saved all their offense until the ninth.
A loss is a loss, Ryan Dempster said afterward. I dont really care whos watching. I dont like losing anytime. So if there was one person in the stands, or theres 40,000 people, to me, it means the same thing.
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It just sucks to lose a ballgame.
Dempster is now winless in his last 16 starts, a streak that dates back to Aug. 16 of last year, and one of the few big names left on this team now that Kerry Wood has retired.
Dempster (0-2, 2.28) gave up back-to-back shots to Dayan Viciedo and A.J. Pierzynski in the third, and allowed four runs in six innings, for a team thats 10 games under .500 and doesnt have that kind of margin for error. These will be the growing pains.
I think theres just a tremendous thing here on the North Side with this staff and this management (team), Wood said. Im excited to watch for the future. (These) young guys here, the Barneys and Castros and Samardzijas and Russells and Campanas are starting the journey Im ending today. I look forward to the excitement of watching these guys grow and learn this game and ultimately bring a championship to this city that deserves it.
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The Cubs roster is still in flux, with Welington Castillo dealing with a knee injury, Geovany Soto recovering from knee surgery and Koyie Hill coming over from the Cincinnati Reds organization for cash. There was Blake Parker leaving the game with a hamstring injury and Randy Wells coming up from Triple-A Iowa to take Woods spot in the bullpen.
Were running out of lockers, Dempster said. Thats probably the biggest thing. Maybe we should hurry up and dress up the rookies here pretty soon because we have a lot of em.
Its unfortunate. We got a lot of guys getting hurtnot major things, but little things. We just got to find a way to battle through that and go out there and win ballgames.