(SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Cubs try to continue their recent mastery of the crosstown White Sox on Monday when the 2014 edition of the Windy City Series gets underway with a pair of games at Wrigley Field.
This is actually a four-game series with the final two games being played at U.S. Cellular Field.
"When you're playing Cubs-Sox series, it's not exactly the playoffs, but it's not exactly regular-season games, either," said White Sox designated hitter Paul Konerko. "It feels different. Most players look forward to that, because it kind of gets you out of that rut of just playing games every single day."
The Cubs won all four meetings in the matchup a year ago and have won six of the last seven in the series. That should be good news to Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija, who takes the hill on Monday still searching for his first win of the season.
Samardzija's record, though, is through no fault of his own, as he has pitched to a 1.98 ERA in his six starts. His latest loss came on Tuesday in Cincinnati, as he surrendered three runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of the 3-2 setback.
It was the fourth time in his six outings that the Cubs scored two runs or less for him. In fact, they have only provided Samardzija with 11 runs all season.
Samardzija has faced the White Sox five times (2 starts) and is 1-2 with a 1.80 ERA. He did throw a two-hit shutout against them last season.
The White Sox, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Jose Quintana, who is 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA. Quintana did not get a decision on Tuesday against Detroit despite a solid effort that saw him allow three runs with 10 strikeouts over six innings.
This will be his first-ever start at Wrigley.
Quintana will be trying to help the White Sox win consecutive games after they snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday in Cleveland. The Cubs, meanwhile, had a three-game winning streak stopped in the finale of their set with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, but still enter this series having won four of their last six.
The winner of this four-game series will lay claim to the Crosstown Cup.
[SportsNetwork.com]
