Originally published Monday, June 23, 2008 at 12:00 AM

It's game, set, sweep for Cubs

It was a sweet sweep for the Chicago Cubs in their first-place showdown with the crosstown White Sox. Ryan Dempster won his ninth straight...

By Rick Gano

The Associated Press

CHICAGO — It was a sweet sweep for the Chicago Cubs in their first-place showdown with the crosstown White Sox.

Ryan Dempster won his ninth straight game this season at Wrigley Field and Eric Patterson and Aramis Ramirez homered in the same inning for the Cubs, who beat the White Sox 7-1 Sunday night to finish a three-game sweep.

Dempster (9-2), who moved from closer back to starter this season, allowed 10 hits and a run in eight-plus innings, leaving after giving up back-to-back singles in the ninth.

Patterson, who had three hits Saturday after he was recalled from the minors, hit his first major-league homer, a two-run shot off Javier Vazquez (7-6) in the fifth to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead.

One out later, the hot-swinging Ramirez connected for his fourth homer of the series, a solo shot. Ramirez hit the tying and winning homers in the Cubs' 4-3 victory on Friday.

Ramirez added an RBI double in the seventh inning Sunday and finished the series 6 for 13 with eight runs batted in.

Trailing 5-0, the White Sox ended the shutout bid in the seventh on Jermaine Dye's double and an RBI single from Joe Crede.

The Cubs turned three double plays in the first five innings behind Dempster, including one on the White Sox's hottest hitter, Dye.

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