Gutierrez Gets His Revenge

Ricky Gutierrez kept his cool and helped the Chicago Cubs get off to a good start in their first game after the all-star break.

Gutierrez, spiked earlier in the game, hit an eighth-inning grand slam Thursday to give the Cubs an emotional 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Wrigley Field.

“It was awesome. I couldn’t even feel myself running around the bases,” Gutierrez said. “I’m just glad to get my first grand slam in a big situation. That’s one to remember.”

While he was covering third in the fourth inning, Gutierrez was hit hard on a slide by Chris Singleton.

Singleton was trying to go from first to third on an infield out and his spikes-high slide came shortly after the Cubs’ Eric Young spiked shortstop Royce Clayton a half-inning earlier.

Gutierrez stared at Singleton as he left the field. Umpires talked with Young, Cub Manager Don Baylor, White Sox starter Kip Wells and Manager Jerry Manuel before the next inning started.

“They thought [Young] went in pretty hard, but that’s just the way he plays,” Gutierrez said, admitting he thought about retaliating.

Singleton said he was just playing hard.