By TYLER KEPNER

Despite both teams owning losing records, there was plenty of intrigue to open the series between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.

After the White Sox won the opener despite losing their best hitter, they’ll try to continue their recent success against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday night.

While these teams are off to slow starts, there was no shortage of storylines following the White Sox’s 3-2 win Friday.

Paul Konerko hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Gordon Beckham hit a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth to lead the White Sox to their sixth win in nine games at Wrigley Field.

Beforehand, it was learned Kerry Wood intended to announce his retirement, ending a career that began with much promise but never helped bring that elusive World Series title to the Cubs.

Wood was 0-2 with two blown saves and an 8.64 ERA before striking out Dayan Viciedo in the eighth in his final appearance.

“It was time,” Wood, who left to a standing ovation, said. “We saw how things were going this year. I wasn’t able to bounce back and do my job.”

Wood wasn’t the only big story after Konerko was sent sprawling in the third inning when he was hit by a pitch by Jeff Samardzija. Konerko suffered a laceration above his left eye and some swelling, and his status for Saturday is uncertain.

“The ball got away and unfortunately it hit him up high,” Samardzija said after the Cubs (15-24) lost their fourth straight. “If I could take it back I would. He’s a tough guy. I hope he’ll be alright.”

White Sox starter Phil Humber denied retaliation after he threw behind Bryan LaHair in the fourth. Both benches were issued warnings.

Konerko came into the game batting .362, third-best in the AL. His homer was his 55th in interleague play, tying him with Ken Griffey Jr. for second place all-time.

Possibly without Konerko, the White Sox (19-21) will go for a third straight victory Saturday, but they could have trouble against Ryan Dempster (0-1, 1.74 ERA).

Dempster had a 1.02 ERA over his first five starts, which the Cubs were winless in. He pitched in a winning effort against St. Louis on Monday after allowing a season-high four runs in six innings of a 6-4 victory.

Dempster is 2-3 with a 5.09 ERA in six starts against the White Sox but has a 1.71 ERA in three starts against them at Wrigley Field.

Alexei Ramirez is 6 for 14 with a home run against Dempster while Adam Dunn has two homers in 17 at-bats.

The White Sox will counter with John Danks (2-4, 6.46), who struggled again Monday at Detroit, failing to record an out in the fourth inning of a 7-5 win.

Danks allowed five runs and nine hits, and it was the third time in four starts he gave up five or more runs.

The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four starts against the Cubs, although the last time he faced them he allowed six runs in five innings of an 8-6 loss in 2010.

CHICAGO (AP) — Gordon Beckham hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning Friday and the Chicago White Sox overcame the loss of star Paul Konerko to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in what was the final major league game for Cubs reliever Kerry Wood.

Beckham’s solo shot and a two-run blast from Konerko in the first were the only runs allowed by Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija (4-2).

Konerko suffered a laceration above his left eye and swelling when he was hit by a Samardizja pitch in the third inning and had to leave the game. He was to have more tests to determine the extent of the injury.

Wood’s retirement dominated the pre-game conversations as the right-hander shagged batting practice balls in the outfield with his son. After struggling with injuries over the better part of a decade and again early this season, Wood was expected to retire after one more appearance with the Cubs and he made that in the eighth after Samardzija walked Adam Dunn.

Wood, who began his major league career with the Cubs in 1998 and struck out 20 Houston Astros batters in his fifth major league start, took the mound to rousing cheers. When Wood struck out Dayan Viciedo with three pitches — the only batter he faced — he was taken out as teammates congratulated him on the mound and Dunn doffed his batting helmet and clapped from first base.

Wood left to a rousing standing ovation and was hugged by his son as he reached the dugout. Moments later, Wood emerged for a curtain call, waving his cap to the fans at Wrigley Field as James Russell threw warmup pitches. He played slightly more than 13 seasons, most of them in Chicago.

“It’s time,” Wood said afterward. “We all get to this point.’

Konerko’s 19th career homer in 66 games against the Cubs came one out after a first-inning single by Beckham and made it 2-0.

But the Cubs responded right away against Phil Humber. David DeJesus led off with a fly ball double into the ivy in left field and Tony Campana had a bunt single when Humber slipped down trying to field it. Campana then stole second before Starlin Castro’s long sacrifice fly made it 2-1 and sent Campana to third. Humber then struck out Bryan LaHair and got Alfonso Soriano to fly out.

Samardizja hit Konerko with a high tight pitch in the third, sending him sprawling into the dirt and eventually out of the game holding a towel to his face. The next inning, Humber threw a pitch high and behind Cubs cleanup hitter Bryan LaHair in the fourth and home plate umpire Tim Timmons issued a warning to both teams.

The Cubs tied the game in the seventh when Ian Stewart led off with a single and one out later Darwin Barney doubled into the left field corner to finish Humber after just 66 pitches. Matt Thornton (2-3) came in and Samardzija promptly bounced his first pitch through the left side for an RBI single to tie the game and put runners at first and third. DeJesus popped out and so did Campana on a bunt attempt, ending the inning.

Samardzija allowed six hits and three runs in 7 1-3 innings with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Humber allowed five hits and the two runs in 6 1-3 innings and is now 0-2 with three no-decisions since pitching a perfect game against Seattle on April 21. Addison Reed got his fourth save in as many chances with a scoreless ninth that included a double by Barney when White Sox right fielder Alex Rios lost his two-out fly ball in the sun.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing a call at second base with umpire Marty Foster, who was covering second on the play. DeJesus had hit a ball to left center and appeared to be safe at second but when Beckham went to make a tag he knocked DeJesus off the bag and Foster called him out.

Notes: White Sox 3B Brent Morel was a late scratch with a sore back that has bothered him off and on this season. He was replaced by Eduardo Escobar … Cubs C Geovany Soto will have surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee and will miss three to four weeks … The Cubs called up catcher Blake Lalli and optioned out struggling right-hander Chris Volstad, who had an 0-6 record.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

CHICAGO, May 18 (UPI) — Gordon Beckham hit an eighth-inning home run Friday that carried the Chicago White Sox to a 3-2 interleague victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run in the first inning for the White Sox but the Cubs tied the score in the seventh on a run-scoring single by pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

The next inning Beckham fouled off three pitches before hitting a high fly that just reached the section of Wrigley Field’s left field stands that jut in. It was his third home run of the year.

Samardzija (4-2) took the loss after giving up seven hits and all three runs over 7 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out eight.

He was lifted after walking Adam Dunn in the eighth and Kerry Wood came in and struck out Dayan Viciedo. Wood earlier let it be known he planned to retire as a player after a final appearance. He left the field to a standing ovation.

Matt Thornton (2-3), who allowed the single to Samardzija and got two outs on three pitches, collected the win. Addison Reed pitched the ninth in earning his fourth save.

Beckham singled with one out in the first and, an out later, Konerko hit a smash deep into the left-field stands for his 10th home run of the season. Konerko was hit by a pitch near his left eye his next time up and left the game.

The Cubs got a double by David DeJesus, a single from Tony Campana and a sacrifice fly from Starlin Castro in their first three batters but only managed one more hit off White Sox starter Philip Humber until the seventh.

Ian Stewart singled and took third on a Darwin Bradley double when Samardzija greeted Thornton with a single through the left side. It was Samardzija’s first hit of the season.

Are we about to witness the end of Kerry Wood? The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Wood is expected to announce his retirement after his next outing, which could come against the Chicago White Sox on May 18, 2012. The Chicago Cubs wouldn’t immediately confirm this report.

Wood has battled injuries throughout most of spring training and the regular season. He has an 8.64 ERA and 2.28 WHIP in nine appearances. Only two of those appearances were clean innings (no hits or walks), one of which required one out. Wood displayed his frustrations when he tossed his glove and cap into the Wrigley Field crowd and went off on a reporter when he was questioned about that incident.

Honestly, I can’t say that I’d be disappointed with this announcement. I’m appreciative of what Wood gave this organization heading into 2012. However, there’s no disputing that he’s a shell of his former self. It’s time for both parties to move on. I just hope this doesn’t become a situation where he “Retires and unretires” because he’s overreacting to his poor start.

The departure of Wood would mean that the Cubs’ bullpen would have another vacancy. Carlos Marmol and Lendy Castillo are already on the disabled list. Castillo is basically unusable even when he’s healthy. The Cubs could have another opening if Casey Coleman or Travis Wood were promoted into the starting rotation after Chris Volstad lasted two innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 17.

I feel like this would be a good opportunity to move Volstad into the bullpen. A starting pitcher can surrender three earned runs through six innings (4.50 ERA) to reach the minimum qualifications for a quality start. By this definition, Volstad hasn’t had a quality season as a starting pitcher since his 2008 rookie season. The Cubs have lost all eight of Volstad’s starts as he’s 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA.

The worst case scenario for moving Volstad into the bullpen is that he flops. The Cubs could simply demote him to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs could always keep him on the 25-man roster if another team tried to snatch him off of waivers. I wouldn’t consider it as a significant loss if he were claimed by another franchise and the Cubs allowed him to walk.

I hope that Wood enjoys whatever he does when his career is officially over. Maybe he’ll remain with the organization as some type of symbolic figure? I’m not really into that type of stuff but if it makes him happy then so be it.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months. He can be found on Twitter HERE.

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May 17, 2012 – Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija spoke with reporters on Thursday about his upcoming start on Friday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox, poking fun at White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson among other things. The former Notre Dame wide receiver grew up in Indiana, not especially far from the south side of Chicago.

Asked if he had any favorite call from Hawk as a kid, Samardzija responded:

There was a lot of them, man, a lot of good ones. I always liked the ones where he just didn’t talk for about an inning and a half. And then all of a sudden, you know, he’d be like, ‘The 2-2, two outs,’ and I mean, where were the other 15 pitches that happened during the inning?

At this point, it’s hard not to think of Harrelson when thinking of White Sox baseball. Since 1990, Harrelson has been the primary play-by-play announcer for the team. On Friday afternoon at 1:10, the Cubs are hosting the White Sox with Samardzija taking the mound for his eighth start of the year.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the White Sox, head over to South Side Sox, and for the Cubs, check out Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more news, notes and analysis from around baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

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ANAHEIM, Calif., May 17 (UPI) — Chris Sale gave up a run over 5 1/3 innings Thursday and received solid relief help in leading the Chicago White Sox to a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The only Los Angeles score came on a homer by Albert Pujols, his third of the year and his second in as many games.

Chicago, however, took advantage of six walks by C.J. Wilson (4-4), who gave up four runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss. Three of the runs allowed by Wilson were unearned.

Sale (4-2) surrendered five hits while striking out seven. Three relievers combined to give up one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings.

Adam Dunn had a two-run single during Chicago’s three-run fourth and A.J. Pierzynski delivered an RBI single in both the third and ninth.

Los Angeles designated hitter Mark Trumbo went 4-for-4, but the Angels were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) – Adam Dunn and A.J. Pierzynski each knocked in two runs to help the Chicago White Sox beat the LA Angels of Anaheim, 6-1, in the final test of a two-game series.

Dayan Viciedo hit a solo homer for the White Sox, who bounced back from a 7-2 loss in the opener of this brief set on Wednesday. Paul Konerko drove in a run and scored a run.

Chris Sale (4-2) allowed one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win. He struck out seven and walked one.

“We continued to put pressure on them today,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “We had good at-bats and Chris has been good for us.”

Albert Pujols hit a solo homer for the Angels, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.

C.J. Wilson (4-4) gave up four runs — one earned — on four hits over 3 2/3 frames. He walked six and fanned three.

“We’ll turn the page on this one,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “C.J. had trouble putting pitches in the zone. He started to feel a little under the weather as the game went on.”

The White Sox broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. Konerko worked a two-out walk, moved to second on Alex Rios’ single and crossed the plate on Pierzynski’s base hit to right. Pierzynski was tagged out while trying to reach second.

The visitors added three more runs in the fourth. With one out, Viciedo hit a routine fly ball to right fielder Mike Trout, who dropped the ball. Brent Morel and Alejandro De Aza followed with walks to load the bases. Two batters later, Dunn hit a two-run single to right-center field. David Carpenter came in from the bullpen and Konerko greeted him with an RBI single to shallow right field.

Pujols’ third homer of the season in the sixth made it a 4-1 game.

But Viciedo hit a solo homer of his own in the eighth to give Chicago a four- run margin again.

Pierzynski added an RBI single in the ninth to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Wilson fell to 3-1 in 13 lifetime meetings (four starts) against the White Sox…Angels designated hitter Mark Trumbo went 4-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games…LA went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight.

(AP) — The Chicago White Sox pulled out a rare win their last time out behind Alex Rios’ clutch display at the plate.

They seem to have a good chance of salvaging a four-game split against the Cleveland Indians with Jake Peavy taking the hill Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

After getting swept in Monday’s day-night doubleheader, the White Sox (14-17) posted their fourth victory in 15 games Tuesday with a 5-3, 10-inning win. Mired in an 8-for-47 (.170) slump over his previous 12 games, Rios broke out by going 3 for 4 with a go-ahead triple in the 10th.

“I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere and it worked out pretty good,” said Rios, batting .370 over his last eight games in Cleveland.

Peavy (3-1,1.99 ERA), who’s received an average of just 2.81 runs of support over his last three starts, would surely love to see Rios’ momentum carry over.

After a couple of injury-plagued campaigns in Chicago, it’s safe to say Peavy is finally living up to expectations. Six days after allowing four hits while recording his second consecutive complete game in a 1-0 loss to Boston, the 2007 NL Cy Young winner gave up three runs over 7 2-3 innings of Friday’s 5-4 walk-off loss at Detroit.

Holding opponents to a .177 average, Peavy has thrown at least 107 pitches in four consecutive starts. His 122 pitches against the Tigers matched his highest total since May 17, 2009.

While his numbers leave little to be desired, a heavy workload has some concerned about how the oft-injured right-hander will hold up as the season wears on.

“I’m going to be sore, there’s no doubt about it,” Peavy, who skipped this week’s normal bullpen session, told the team’s official website. “But I felt good enough to finish the inning. I wanted to finish the inning. It’s a non-issue with our coaching staff and training staff. I feel the way I feel.”

Peavy had gone 1-3 with a 5.00 ERA over his first six starts against the Indians before throwing a three-hitter with eight strikeouts in a 1-0 win May 18.

Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera are a combined 9 for 24 (.375) lifetime against Peavy, each taking him deep once.

Winner of six of eight, Cleveland (17-12) tied Tuesday’s game with a three-run, eighth-inning rally before closer Chris Perez gave up the winning runs. Perez had allowed just one run over his previous 13 appearances spanning 12 innings.

“This is baseball. I was never going to give up another run again? Come on,” he said. “It’s baseball. I gave up two hits. We lost, It stinks, especially after we battled back. What are you going to do?”

The Indians look to bounce back behind Jeanmar Gomez (2-1, 2.82), who’s also impressed early this season. The right-hander is coming off his second victory, throwing seven innings of three-run ball during Friday’s 6-3 win over Texas.

“Gomez was terrific against such a great lineup,” manager Manny Acta said.

Gomez, who struck out three over two scoreless innings of relief against the White Sox in his season debut, won both his career starts in this series last season while compiling a 2.25 ERA.