Sox earn sweep revenge

CHICAGO - Lou Piniella saw it coming, his team's fall from grace. “I tried to tell you people about it a few weeks ago ... but when you're 20 games over .500, the sky's never falling,” he said Sunday, hours before his team dropped its season-high fourth consecutive game, 5-1, to the White Sox. “This is not gloom and doom. It is a reality, though. This is something that I have been concerned about. I (thought) about this, (worried) about this on a daily basis. “I gave it a heck of a lot of thought. And I was concerned.” Piniella's prophecy proved right on the money - the Cubs (49-33) have lost eight of 12 overall, six straight on the road. They're beat up, physically and mentally. Their starting pitching is confounding, their offense inconsistent. Piniella appears to be tired of it all - fed up with his team's listless, disheartening play, he earned himself an early exit from Sunday's game. The skipper was ejected in the third inning after arguing an appeal call. “We're going through a little trying period right now,” bench coach Alan Trammel said after the game. Trammel took over after Piniella's ejection. Piniella was not available for comment. “These guys are professionals,” Trammel said. “I don't think (Piniella) or myself or anybody on the coaching staff can fault their effort. “We need to go out and perform. Hopefully we'll do that tomorrow.” Nobody could say the Cubs performed Sunday. Sean Marshall and Jose Ascanio surrendered three homers - Jim Thome's two-run homer in the eighth put the game out of reach. Ryan Theriot and Mark DeRosa were each doubled off second in key situations. They looked like an also-ran - not the National League's best team. “It was just one of those days,” Trammel said. “Again, we're frustrated. Any time you're on a losing streak, whether you're the Cubs or whoever, you want to win. “We're used to winning. We want to get back on our winning ways. I have all the confidence in the world we will get back to our winning ways. “But as I say that, it doesn't mean we're going to snap our fingers tomorrow and it's just going to happen.” The White Sox (46-35) made it look that easy this weekend, however. Three wins, two of the blowout variety. Seven home runs - three in each of the final two games. Their starting pitching was solid, their relief pitching dominant. “I just hope to stay consistent,” Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “It's great every time you sweep somebody because that means you're winning. “We're so up and down ... but you know me, I'm proud of these guys.” The Sox were basically the Cubs, one week later. “It's nice to think that White Sox fans are happy right now,” Guillen said. “They'll walk home with a smile on their face. I know it was tough for them last weekend.” This weekend was tough on the Cubs, whose division lead remains scant. It was especially tough on Piniella. In the bottom of the third inning Marshall threw an 0-2 fastball to Joe Crede, who appeared to offer at the pitch. Cubs catcher Henry Blanco appealed to first base umpire Chad Fairchild - he ruled Crede did not go around. Piniella bounded out of the dugout and started up the baseline. He stopped far short of Fairchild, but yelled out at the umpire. He must have said one of baseball's no-no's - plate umpire Rob Drake gave him the thumb, even though he had yet to have any contact with Piniella. At the time, Piniella had his back to Drake. “He wasn't talking to (Drake) when he got thrown out,” Henry Blanco said. “Lou argued, but there was no reason for him to get thrown out just like that.”