2:38: The sun is shining brightly here at the Cell and the fans are being treated to a pregame concert by Sister Hazel. I'm all for pregame concerts, but of all the days to have one the Sox pick this one. Why didn't they schedule the Sister Hazel concert for Wednesday or Thursday when nobody was here? Meanwhile, how far has Sister Hazel fallen that they are the warm-up act for a baseball game?

2:42: My buddy Wayne Drehs hits us with the early line of the day: "Come early on Saturday for Eve 6."

2:45: The Soto/weed jokes have already started in the press box. I heard a couple of people asking if the Cubs' catcher was going to be "bonging" today.

2:47: While we're on the subject, it's clear that Lou Piniella probably does, in fact, know the difference between a steroid and a reefer. He told the assembled media earlier today that he tried marijuana once and it didn't do anything for him. You've got to admire him for sticking up for his catcher, but it makes his quote from last week even funnier now.

2:52: And Sister Hazel ends with "All For You." I feel like I am back in 10th grade.

2:56: Some fan gets a chance to win a million dollars in one of those contests where you have to throw a ball through a tiny hole. Of course, he doesn't make it and spins around in anguish on the mound. Are the holes for those contests even big enough for the ball?

2:57: Adam Burish throws out the first pitch and receives a nice ovation from the crowd. Having a Blackhawks player/coach seems to be a good strategy for the baseball teams in the city. Coach Q threw out the first pitch last week at Wrigley.

2:59: The guys from Sister Hazel come back to sing the national anthem. These guys are everywhere.

3:02: The guy who missed his chance at a million bucks comes back out to stand at the plate while the lineup cards are exchanged. Probably not the consolation prize he was hoping for.

3:05: I'll take the Sox's pregame intro of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" to the Cubs' warm-up music of Van Halen and "Jump" any day.

3:06: Why do people insist on setting off fireworks when it's 90 degrees and sunny outside. Newsflash: You can't see them.

3:08: And we're off with a Soriano swing and miss. Surprise, surprise.

3:09: Soriano strikes out looking. I'm stunned.

3:11: Milton Bradley steps to the plate and gets booed. Are those Cubs or Sox fans doing the booing?

3:12: Bradley strikes out looking to end the inning. This could not have been the start the Cubs were hoping for. It could be another long day, Lou.

3:15: Scotty Pods starts everything off right for the Sox with a single to center. Where would the Sox be this year without that guy?

3:16: Jake Fox makes Piniella's Brooks Robinson comparison from the other day look good for at least one play by starting a double play.

3:17: Jermaine Dye tattoos a Wells' offering into the left-field seats. 1-0 Sox. The press box announcer tells us that that was Dye's 154th homer with the White Sox, which ties him with Bill Melton for seventh place in team history.

3:20: The Sox fans get going with an early "Paulie, Paulie" chant but he grounds out to Brooks Robinson Fox to end the inning.

3:22: Derrek Lee comes up to the plate and gets booed. It's not the type of boos Bradley received, though. It's more like the "We hate you, because you're good" respectful booing.

3:23: Lee goes down swinging. Contreras is on fire already having K'd three of the first four batters.

3:27: Fox gets the Cubs' first hit of the day with a double down the line. Piniella is going to have to find a way to keep this kid in the lineup if he keeps getting on base.

3:28: Mike Fontenot grounds out to end that threat. "Little Lord" hasn't been the same hitter since he entered the starting lineup full-time. The scouting reports caught up with him.

3:30: Ramon Castro whiffs his way to a strikeout? Where is A.J. Pierzynski the Cub killer?

3:32: Wells strikes out Getz swinging. We're looking at a serious pitchers' duel today.

3:35: They're playing "Disco Inferno" on the PA/big screen. Only problem is that nobody is dancing.

3:36: Soto gets a hit down the line ...

3:37: Andres Blanco defines the Cubs' play up to this point in the year by popping up a sac bunt to Konerko.

3:39: Soriano strikes out swinging again. Hey, at least he swung this time.

3:39 Fukudome laces one but it's hit right at Konerko to end the inning. Meanwhile you've got to love the anniversary announcements that roll on the JumboTron during play. Happy 50th Anniversary, Joanne!

3:42: Gordon Beckham strikes out. At what point does he start hearing a few more boos on the South Side?

3:43: "Courtney Michaels: Will you marry me?" An actual message that just showed up on the big board. Can you imagine that phone call? "Mom, it was so romantic! He proposed to me right in the middle of the bottom of the third inning!!"

3:46: Brook Robinson Fox makes another play at third to end the inning. When are we gonna fit him for his Gold Glove?

3:49: Bradley strikes out for the second time -- the cries for Mark DeRosa get a little louder somewhere.

3:50: Derrek Lee is a hitting machine. He rolls a single into center. The Cubs haven't played great in the past few weeks but seriously, where would they be without him?

3:52: Fox goes deep to right for his second homer in as many days. 2-1 Cubs. This guy is just crushing pitches right now.

3:53: Fontenot grounds out yet again to end the inning. 2-1 Cubs heading into the bottom of the fourth. Fox is earning more playing time each time he steps up to the plate.

3:57: And we've got a tie ballgame. Jim Thome goes deep to left, making the score 2-2. Is that guy ever going to stop hitting?

3:59: Konerko strikes out swinging, but there is a little buzz in the park again. You get the feeling that this game is going to come down to the wire.

4:00: It looks as if Castro has the Sox's third home run of the day, but Soriano does that stupid (unnecessary) jump and catches it on the warning track.

4:04: Quick 1-2-3 inning. There's the Cubs offense that fans have come to know and love.

4:06: Another difference between Wrigley and the Cell. Cheerleaders don't come out and throw T-shirts out to the crowd like they are doing right now at the Cell.

4:08: Bradley makes a nice catch in right to rob Chris Getz. A Sox fan in front of the press box screams, "Throw it in the stands!"

4:10: Beckham hears cheers again by lining a single to right.

4:11: Scratch the cheers. He gets caught stealing to end the inning. Still 2-2 as we head into the sixth.

4:13: Nice tweak by the Sox's marketing department. They just had a Cub Quiz on the big board: "Name the future Hall of Famer who led the 1963 Cubs with 24 steals?" Answer: Lou Brock. Zing.

4:15: Fukudome strikes out swinging and literally almost drives himself into the ground. The helicopter swing is back out in full-force.

4:15: Uh-oh. Ozzie Guillen comes out to check on Contreras who seems to have some back issues.

4:16: All seems to be well. Contreras takes a few more warm-up pitches and looks to be fine. The sight of Fukudome flailing probably made him hurt worse.

4:19: Derrek Lee pops up to the catcher to end the inning? Haven't seen that very often lately.

4:20: Quite the moves being shown by the plump man in the Thome T-shirt who is dancing on top of the Cubs' dugout right now. Gotta love the in-game entertainment at the Cell!

4:21: Ryan Freel (and his imaginary friend Farney) have entered the game for the Cubs.

4:22: Scott Pods gets on base once again to start the inning, but Ramirez pops up to third and the crowd gives him some boos. He sure hasn't played the same as he did during those two games at Wrigley a week ago.

4:24: Dye strikes out swinging. I guess Wells learned his lesson as to how to pitch the Sox's slugger after serving up that bomb in the first.

4:25: 39,015 is the paid attendance. It sure looks like there are more people here than that. This is just the Sox's second sellout of the year. The first one came on opening day.

4:26: Piniella decides to intentionally walk Thome to get to Konerko. Probably the right move, but he could get second-guessed for days if it doesn't work.

4:29: Wells gets him to ground out to short to end the inning. Uncle Lou looks like a genius. If he only he could figure out a way to get his team to hit now.

4:30: The Sox run a contest each Friday called the "Pop Fly Challenge." Today's contestant doesn't catch one and falls to the ground after each try. In-game entertainment is good at minor league games, but not at the Cell.

4:32: Contreras strikes out Hoffpauir for his seventh K of the day. He is dealing.

4:33: Fox gets his third hit of the day. "It's time for a new Jake Fox scouting report," Wayne says. Couldn't agree more. Who else besides Lee will be able to knock him in, though?

4:34: Konerko boots a ball at first and the Cubs have a small rally brewing. After a rough 24 hours, Soto could change his fortunes here with a hit.

4:35: AND HE DOES. Soto knocks out a three-run homer to center and the Cubs lead 5-2. That had to be one of the most satisfying home runs of his career. That was a big hit.

4:38: "Let's Go Cubbies" chants are starting to fill the air at the Cell.

4:39: Soriano strikes out for the third time to end the inning. It's time to give him a day off, maybe a week.

4:39: That error by Konerko broke a 118-game errorless streak. Ouch.

4:39: White Sox fans make sure to scream WHITE SOX, during the seventh-inning stretch.

4:40: "Livin on a Prayer," rattles out of the speaker system here at the Cell, too? Everybody in Chicago must love Bon Jovi.

4:43: Brian Anderson strikes out swinging to end the seventh. Wells has been dominant at times today -- he's only given up five hits and has struck out six. Who would have ever thought that Randy Wells would be the Cubs' most consistent starter?

4:46: Fukudome decides not to pull out his helicopter swing again and puts a nice bunt down the third-base line which stays fair. Maybe Fukudome should bunt more often.

4:49: Freel takes Bradley's spot in the order and promptly grounds out to short. At least he made contact. With the way Bradley's hitting he probably would have struck out again.

4:50: Ozzie decides to walk D-Lee with a base open. Good call, Mr. Guillen.

4:51: Matt Thornton takes over for Contreras. The big right-hander pitched well today, but he's going to regret that pitch he made to Soto.

4:54: Thornton comes in and strikes out Hoffpauir.

4:56: Ozzie decides to let Thornton stay in and pitch to Fox. May not be a wise move.

4:59: Fox is putting on a foul-ball clinic. The count is still 3-2.

4:59: Fox lines a ball to center to end the inning. "Even his outs are hit hard," Wayne says.

5:00: Carlos "The Walk Machine" Marmol enters the game. Will he be able to make this lead stand up? Either way, I'm sure most Cubs fans would rather see him in there than Kevin Gregg.

5:03: Marmol starts off the inning in predictable fashion by walking Beckham. Where did his control from last season go?

5:06: After getting Podsednik to fly out, Marmol walks Ramirez to bring the tying run to the plate. This is like watching the second coming of Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams.

5:07: White Sox fans have to like their chances either way. Aaron Heilman and Sean Marshall are warming up for the Cubs.

5:08: It's official: Alfonso Soriano may be the worst defensive outfielder in baseball. He loses the ball in the sun for a second and then tries to catch up and fails. Dye's bloop falls in between him and Blanco. The wheels may be coming off for the Cubs.

5:09: Thome hits a bizarre-looking, bat-flying double down the right field line and it's 5-4. The Cell is rocking!

5:10: Lou decides to walk Paul Konerko to load the bases. Ozzie counters by pinch-hitting A.J. Pierzynski. In comes Sean Marshall, out goes Marmol. Those two walks absolutely killed him. As usual. Bases loaded, one out. This is the biggest appearance of Marshall's bullpen life.

5:14: WHOA! Marshall gets Pierzynski to roll into the old 3-2-3 double play and the Cubs get out of the inning. 5-4 Cubs heading into the ninth. Marshall may have just supplanted his role as the Cubs' main lefty reliever in the bullpen. I know he'd like to be a starter, but if he makes a habit of getting out of jams like those, he's going to get PAID.

5:17: Kevin Gregg warms up in the bullpen for the North Siders. Cubs fans everywhere weep.

5:19: The postgame news conference should be interesting. Our site is now reporting that Bradley and Piniella had words in the dugout and that's the reason Bradley was pulled out of the game. Makes a little more sense now. Freel and Farney may be cool, but that guy hasn't gotten a big hit since he was traded from Baltimore.

5:20: Somewhere Jim Hendry is feeling ill.

5:21: Soriano actually got on base? With a walk?

5:21: Seriously, the Bradley contract looks worse as the days go by.

5:23: Fukudome grounds out to the pitcher to end the inning. 5-4 Cubs as we head into the bottom of the ninth. If Gregg blows this one, Piniella's head will blow off with all the stuff that's going on around him.

5:25: A little infield shuffling ... Brooks Robinson Fox goes out and Theriot comes in. If this one goes into extras, Lou will be missing Fox's bat.

5:27: Gregg strikes out Getz to start the inning. A good sign for Cubs fans, but can he do it twice more?

5:29: Nice play by D-Lee to rob DeWayne Wise of a hit. Is Gregg actually about to close this one out?

5:29: Josh Fields is pinch-hitting. Can he pull one more home run out of his bag?

5:31: Gregg jussssssst misses twice and Fields takes a walk. Scotty Pods gets a chance to be the hero for the second day in a row.

5:34: Podsednik takes a called third strike and the Cubs win it 5-4. I am shocked that Gregg actually closed a game out with relative ease.

5:35: There are three big stars on this day. First, Randy Wells. The Cubs right-hander struck out six over seven innings and looked solid. Each time he pitches he seems to gain more confidence. Second has to be Geovany Soto. He deserves a lot of credit for cranking a game-winning three-run homer just 24 hours after it was revealed that he got caught smoking pot. Everyone will forget about that little mistake if he returns to his 2008 form. Lastly, Sean Marshall deserves a lot of praise for getting the Cubs out of a major jam in the eighth. Congratulations, buddy. You are the new lefty reliever.

5:38: Better get down to hear the latest on Milton-Gate.

5:39: Hope everybody enjoyed this. Talk to you tomorrow.

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